


Inlustris

by baeconandeggs, WhoYouNotMe



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Gen, Humor, M/M, Romance, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:13:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 35,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24497746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhoYouNotMe/pseuds/WhoYouNotMe
Summary: Smuggler Chanyeol steals a spaceship, not knowing that Prince Baekhyun and his droid are still on board. That's how Chanyeol gets caught up in a chase across the Galaxy, dealing with a crime syndicate, his own past and the sudden feelings towards the spoiled Prince who refuses to go back to his planet.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 13
Kudos: 106
Collections: BAE2020





	Inlustris

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** BAE236  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> **Author's Note:** Dear reader, don’t let the Star Wars tag scare you – I tried to make it as reader friendly as possible so those who don’t know this universe can still enjoy! ^^ Also, a massive thank you to my understanding beta who helped a lot to get this done! You are truly amazing!! Finally – love you and miss you, C. Thank you for getting me into BAE. ♡

The very minute the client slammed the suitcase shut Chanyeol knew he was in trouble. Sure, he had brought only half of the amount of coaxium that the client had demanded from him but the reaction seemed rather uncalled for. In fact, Chanyeol would love to insist that people should’ve found a much better and less dangerous starship fuel already since coaxium meant way too much trouble.

But the young smuggler didn’t manage to put in even a word as blaster bolts started to pour all around him. The fact that none of the shots had hit him surprised Chanyeol. However, he didn’t waste time to boast about his luck and started to run as soon as he deemed the exit clear.

The bar where the meeting was arranged was right in the middle of a labyrinth of small alleyways and Chanyeol made sure to make good use of it. He never ran in a straight line, always alternating his routes as much as he could. Luckily, the further he got from the bar, the more people appeared in his way, serving as an effective obstacle between him and his followers. Chanyeol didn’t have to look back to know that his client’s guards were after him. That was clear by the shouting and chaos behind him.

However, what his chasers didn’t know was that Chanyeol had a plan. He never jumped into things without figuring out escape routes. He never trusted for something to go smooth and safe. That’s why Chanyeol knew exactly where he was heading to – the big docking bay at the other side of the cloud city.

Normally Cantonica was the metropolis of the rich and beautiful who loved political freedom. But Chanyeol knew that no planet was completely clean without any traces of crime. Even this paradise had its own ugly side hidden away from the public eye. The contrast was drastic, really. Chanyeol could clearly see it now as the small waste-ridden streets were expanding into beautiful roads, parks and squares. He didn’t have time to admire it though. No, he had to run.

At one point Chanyeol was sure he was done and over with, thinking that the distance between him and the ones hunting him was way too small. But a blaster bolt that landed a huge distance above his head proved otherwise. Either the shooter was too far for proper aim or the person wasn’t good at aiming. Well, Chanyeol didn’t plan to stop and find out.

Ignoring the freshly made hole in the docking bay’s wall, the smuggler slid into the building with ease. Now he was in a real candy store. The bay was full of various starships that would fit anyone’s taste. Some were small and simple, maybe even humble. Others – luxurious and spacious, a perfect fit for the rich and wealthy who usually visit Cantonica.

Chanyeol kept scanning the area, trying to find something that would get him the hell out of there. There was a lot to take into consideration – the appearance of the ship, the likelihood of it being caught in a chase, if it could be sold later, and whether Chanyeol even knew how to fly the damn thing.

Judging by the loud shouting somewhere behind him, the smuggler knew his followers had arrived. That’s when he finally found his answer – a stunning silver J-type 327 Nubian royal starship. Its descriptions often mentioned it as an “example of the marriage between art and design” and Chanyeol knew all too well that it was anything but subtle. The fine lettering on the side alone would turn heads. The ship’s name literally rolled off Chanyeol’s tongue.

“Inlustris.”

It screamed monarchy and royalty. It screamed everything Chanyeol wasn’t and shouldn’t be. And definitely a resolution to all Chanyeol’s problems. Plus, his inner child had always wanted to try piloting one and seeing the crew leave the ship right in front of his eyes only strengthened Chanyeol’s confidence.

Sneaking around the ships like a skilled ferret, the smuggler made his way closer to his goal. Seeing a fancy ship depart wouldn’t raise alarm. Seeing someone sneak on it and then depart would. Pausing one last time right next to the entrance to make sure there was no one left inside the ship, Chanyeol made the final move and raced straight for the cockpit.

“Oh, baby.”

The ship was as stunning on the inside as its outside hull. Everything was decorated in fancy metals, shining and smooth, with intricate sensors releasing the softest beeps like a bird’s song. There were no weapons on board but Chanyeol was willing to risk it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have such a beauty in his hands and he would be a fool not to take it.

Making sure that the docking area was clear for the ship to depart, Chanyeol turned switches with expertise. He had never flown such a beauty but his instincts were telling him exactly what to press and when. The light signalling that the ship was fully fuelled only warmed Chanyeol’s heart even more.

“It’s destiny. It has to be.”

Taking the ship’s wheel, Chanyeol released a deep breath before slowly rolling the beauty out on the runway.

“It’s ok. You’ll help me get out of here, right? Everything will be smooth and good. Just like that.”

Trying not to draw too much attention, Chanyeol wanted to take his sweet time. However, fate had other plans in mind as blaster bolts started to shower the starship’s hull and windows. The small blasters couldn’t do much against the shields but they sure attracted the attention of its real owners. At that moment Chanyeol decided to just go, speeding away from the dock and jumping into hyperspace as soon as the ship reached the cloud city’s border.

At first he couldn’t believe it but seeing the stars slide past the ship faster than the speed of light finally made him feel at ease. He was alive, in one piece and with a jackpot in his hands. Chanyeol let out a laughter of disbelief.

“You’re amazing, Park! Fucking amazing!”

The smuggler didn’t know where he was going but it didn’t matter. He was safe and fulfilling his childhood dream. It was amazing.

“Truly a beauty.”

Chanyeol let his eyes roam around the cockpit, appreciating everything the designers had done to make the ship royalty worthy.

“This is the fancy life. The life everyone wishes for.”

He didn’t get to admire it for too long though as someone coughing behind him caught Chanyeol’s attention. As the smuggler turned the chair around, he was faced with a rather unamused man standing in the doorway.

“While we do appreciate your visit, my Master and I would like to kindly ask you to leave.”

The sudden announcement made Chanyeol furrow his eyebrows and the rather robotic voice of the speaker only added to it.

“Master? You’re a droid?!”

“You’re certainly observant, sir.”

Chanyeol could swear he heard sarcasm in the other’s voice.

_But droids don’t know sarcasm!?_

Seeing the struggle the human was in, the droid decided to explain a bit further.

“I’m not a droid in the usual sense. I’m a human replica droid.”

“So you’re a meatdroid?”

Chanyeol had heard about the sophisticated synthskin and biofibre-covered droids but never in a million light years would he have thought he would actually get to meet one. However, his choice of words did seem to offend the droid.

“That’s not a term we appreciate, sir. A droid clone would be rather fitting. Or you can refer to me by the name my Master uses – Sehun.”

“You look just like a human!”

Chanyeol probably should’ve been scared or at least careful but his adventurous and all too curious heart was making him feel the exact opposite. The smuggler stood up and approached the droid to scan its features up-close, an action that surprisingly didn’t startle the droid. In fact, Sehun seemed used to it.

“With all due respect, even high-quality medical scanners aren’t always able to distinguish us from humans so I doubt that your human eyes will.”

“This is nuts!”

Chanyeol reached out and was about to touch the droid’s face but Sehun swatted his hand away.

“I would appreciate it if you could keep your paws to yourself. We have more urgent matters at hand.”

“Sure, sure. What’s up?”

The casual tone kind of confused the droid but Sehun would never let it show. He was supposed to be a top-tier droid and he was keen to keep that title.

“My Master is rather distressed.”

“Your Master?”

“He’s hiding in the bedroom.”

“But the ship was empty when I boarded!”

“No, only the crew left the ship. My Master and I stayed behind so Master could get some well-deserved rest. Sadly, it was quite rudely interrupted.”

Chanyeol couldn’t believe that a droid was actually succeeding in expressing an attitude.

“Yeah, sorry about that. My life was kind of endangered so I took the only route out I saw.”

“I see. Master is quite scared so if you could calm him down, it would be very much appreciated.”

“Umm, sure.”

With that Sehun turned around and Chanyeol guessed that he was expected to follow, leaving the route on auto-pilot. The interior of the ship was as sophisticated as the cockpit. Pastel colours, leather seats and expensive decors adorned every area of the cabin. It didn’t take too long for them to reach what seemed to be a small bedroom area. The droid knocked on the closed door and a faint voice soon answered.

“Did you kill the intruder?”

“No, Master. Killing someone who isn’t armed is against my protocol.”

Chanyeol’s eyes widened as he only now realized that he had lost his blaster somewhere during the chase.

“You useless tin can! Your duty is to protect me!”

“He’s harmless, Master.”

Suddenly Sehun stared directly at Chanyeol, signalling with a nudge of his head for the human to speak up.

“Well… I… My name is Chanyeol and I’m very sorry for stealing your ship.”

No answer followed and the droid thought it was a sign that it was alright to enter. However, it turned out to be a mistake. As soon as Chanyeol stepped foot in the cosy bedroom, various kinds of objects were hurled his way. Books, a couple of glasses and cups, a lamp and even a hanger – the list of things starting to pile around the smuggler was becoming really long rather quickly.

“Please, calm down.”

“Calm down?! CALM DOWN?! You’ve kidnapped me!”

“That was not my intention!”

“I don’t care what your intention was! It’s a fact now!”

The droid remained emotionless as another row of random objects was thrown all around their unwelcome visitor. It was clear that this Chanyeol guy wasn’t helping much. In fact, he seemed to make things even worse and so Sehun decided to drag the guy out and let his Master have some space to breathe.

As the door shut behind the two, angry screaming and the sound of objects landing against the door still filled the hallway. Sehun’s face remained emotionless, making Chanyeol somewhat anxious. He had no idea who the two on the ship were and he certainly wasn’t sure if meatdroids, _umm_ , droid clones were dangerous or not.

“So… What now?”

“Master will calm down eventually. He’s been through a lot lately. Anyway, where are you taking us?”

“I… don’t know. I don’t really have a destination in mind.”

“Great. That’s just lovely. Well, I’d advise you to go to the cockpit and figure this shit out, ok?”

“Ok.”

Chanyeol was stunned by how easily the droid controlled him. He didn’t know if it was out of fear or curiosity but something told him that staying on Sehun’s good side was his best option. So after watching Sehun sit down in front of his Master’s door, Chanyeol obeyed the request, turned around and headed back to the cockpit.

“What have I gotten myself into…”

* * *

A few hours passed before the droid and its Master finally appeared in the cockpit. Chanyeol found it almost hilarious how the tiny man that had previously screamed at him in utter panic suddenly appeared so gracious and all-mighty. Or at least tried to appear so. The smuggler watched Sehun’s Master make his way to the co-pilot’s seat before sitting down and facing Chanyeol with a stern look.

“I’m Byun Baekhyun, Prince of Naboo. Now, who the hell are you?”

The sudden formality left the taller one at a loss for words.

“Well, I’m Park Chanyeol. Umm… Smuggler from Tatooine?”

“Ok, smuggler. What do you want from us?”

Honestly, Chanyeol wanted nothing from the two as all he needed was the ship. But how to tell that to the owners of said ship?

“You see… My life was in danger so I ran to the docks. And lo and behold – this ship was at the right place and time! This ship! It saved my life. I honestly thought it had no one on board so I do apologize for that though.”

“That doesn’t answer my question, smuggler. Your life is safe now so what do you want? Are you keeping us hostage?”

“Of course, not!”

“Are you going to kill us?”

“No!”

“Then what?”

“Well… I just need the ship.”

This made Baekhyun raise an eyebrow.

“But your life is safe? Why do you still need the ship?”

“It’s hard to explain. But I really need it.”

A moment of silence set in as Baekhyun seemed to take in the announcement.

“Ok. Then how about this – you help us and we’ll let you have the ship.”

Both Chanyeol and Sehun seemed confused by the sudden offer.

“Master, what are you talking about? How can this useless thief be any good for us?”

“Hey, I’m not useless! If you want me to take you home, I can do that.”

“No, Naboo isn’t safe.”

Chanyeol expected more details but the Prince kept mum, too busy in his thoughts.

“Ok, then what was your destination?”

“You won’t want to go there. I don’t. We need a new plan. There must be something we can do to change it.”

From the pilot’s perspective, the man in front of him was going insane. However, the droid seemed to know more and so a completely incomprehensible conversation took place with Chanyeol as a mere observer.

“Master, we can’t. All arrangements were made already.”

“Do you really think this is what he wants for me?”

“Knowing the King? Sadly, yes.”

“Well, then it’s not what I want for me.”

“At times like this you can’t be selfish, Master.”

“I’m not. I know the responsibility I bear. But there must be another way. There must be something else they would want.”

A moment of silence followed before Baekhyun broke out in a wicked smile, worrying Sehun even more.

“You have an idea, Master?”

“Kessel Spice!”

“Kessel Spice?”

“You know – the stuff that gives someone temporary force abilities?”

“Why would a crime lord need it?”

“Why wouldn’t a crime lord need it?”

Arrangements, drugs and now crime lords – Chanyeol had heard enough.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Sehun and Baekhyun exchanged glances before Baekhyun spoke up, carefully weighing his every word.

“Recently Naboo has been attacked by Crimson Dawn.”

“A crime syndicate? Why?”

“They want to expand their rule, of course. My father has a very valuable say in the Senate. They want him to vote and affect the Senate’s decisions in their favour.”

“Why would the King of Naboo agree? Can’t he tell the Senate what is happening?”

Suddenly Baekhyun didn’t seem as confident, almost sad even.

“At first my father wanted to fight against them but then… Then he felt powerless. And then he started to believe in them. Enough to actually tighten the relationship between the syndicate and Naboo.”

“Tighten? How?”

The Prince seemed to ignore the question.

“That’s why I can’t go home. Neither the destination we previously had. I need to figure out how to stop Crimson Dawn.”

“Master, with all due respect, you can’t take down a whole crime syndicate, not at this scale.”

Finally Chanyeol was starting to grasp the situation.

“Wait! You mean to say that Crimson Dawn are looking for you as we speak?!”

“Well, probably not yet. We were scheduled to arrive tomorrow. But after the set deadline – yeah, they’ll be after us.”

“Great, this is just great!”

Chanyeol was visibly starting to panic but Baekhyun didn’t blame him. No one would want to deal with a crime syndicate. Especially not one who leaves nothing behind. When taking over Savareen, they allegedly cut out the tongues of natives. No one wanted to have something like that on their tail.

“Listen. Unfortunately, you have inserted yourself in a rather sticky situation. But let’s see this as an opportunity – you help us and we’ll reward you. Naboo will be eternally grateful and so the rewards will be highly valuable.”

This seemed to catch the smuggler’s attention.

“Rewards?”

“Yeah. You need this ship and I think you need it just for the money, right? You want to sell it? Well, help us and you’ll get ten times more than what this ship is worth.”

“Ten times?”

“Yes. You’d save a planet! No, the whole galaxy! You will get anything you want!”

Chanyeol seemed to weigh out the possibilities but one thing was clear. Money would solve all his problems. He would be able to finally return home. Sure, the chances of going against a damn syndicate seemed rather grim. But if ever it worked out, he would finally be settled.

“Ok. I’m in. But what’s the plan?”

Baekhyun fell silent for a bit and his next words sounded rather quiet compared to his previous enthusiasm.

“Well… I had an idea but it’s probably not a good one. But I thought – what if we get another syndicate involved? I mean, the others can’t be too happy about Crimson Dawn gaining even more power, right? Or is this way of thinking absurd?”

Sehun was about to say it was ridiculous but Chanyeol actually saw something in it.

“Actually, no. You’re onto something.”

The droid had had enough.

“Are you both crazy? We can’t drag another syndicate to our home! It would be madness! Think of the war that would break out!”

That seemed to affect Baekhyun but not Chanyeol.

“Honestly, it doesn’t have to affect Naboo. If we tried to go the ‘right’ way and inform the Senate or something, then a war would break out. But with syndicates – they have large territories. I’d say they are more likely to hit each other’s strong points rather than some new planet one wants to acquire.”

This made the Prince smile.

“So you think it could work?”

“Yeah.”

Sehun didn’t seem amused at all.

“How are we supposed to get another syndicate involved? Do we send a written invitation or just hit them up on a phone?”

It was clearly meant as a joke but that got Chanyeol to turn towards the dashboard and punch in some coordinates.

“I’d say we need to arrange a meeting and I know someone who could help us with it.”

Now Baekhyun felt excited.

“So we have a destination?”

“Yeah, let’s go see an old friend of mine.”

Shortly after, the ship’s automated voice confirmed the coordinates Chanyeol had just punched in.

“Destination “Coruscant” approved. Estimated arrival in 4 hours.”

* * *

After arranging the destination, the droid and its Master had returned to the bedroom area, leaving Chanyeol alone in the cockpit. He had spent the whole flight, trying to understand what exactly they were going to do. The smuggler was sure there were more details to the situation and not understanding the big picture was rather frustrating. But he knew the Prince wouldn’t reveal anything else so there was no point in asking. One thing was clear though – Chanyeol would have to keep his eyes open and put the puzzle pieces together himself.

The automated voice of the auto-pilot announcing a swift arrival brought Chanyeol out of his musings. The pilot prepared the ship for jumping out of the hyper-space before the view of countless stars was soon replaced by a beautiful planet.

“That’s a lovely sight.”

Baekhyun and Sehun had joined Chanyeol again, admiring the sight in front of them. The pilot was about to agree but as his eyes landed on Baekhyun’s clothes, Chanyeol was taken aback. The Prince looked stunning, his body perfectly hugged by a lilac robe with a golden belt nicely accentuating his waist. The look was finished by a black veil covering the Prince’s nose and mouth, held in place with a face chain that was adorned with countless diamonds.

“Why are you wearing your royal robes?”

Although his senses had returned to him, Chanyeol’s voice came out a bit more aggressive than he had planned. Both the tone and the sudden question seemed to confuse the Prince.

“What else am I supposed to wear?”

“Well, certainly not this!”

“Why not?”

“We’re going to Coruscant’s criminal neighbourhood to discuss a meeting with a crime syndicate. Your clothes are giving away your status and that could bring you more harm than good.”

Baekhyun was about to protest when Sehun decided to voice his concerns too.

“I have to agree with the thief on this one. You don’t want to attract the attention of the wrong type of people, Master.”

“But… Royalties of Naboo traditionally wear visiting robes when arranging meetings.”

“Master, with all due respect, this is no time for traditions. We have much more at stake than the visual representation of our planet.”

The Prince wanted to retort but even he himself knew the two were right.

“Fine. Do we have anything more suitable?”

With that the two returned to the back of the ship, leaving Chanyeol alone again. Although Baekhyun was out of his sight, he couldn’t forget the image of the Prince that easily.

“Truly beautiful.”

As the ship’s system started a countdown for the landing, the pilot tried to concentrate again. This wasn’t going to be an easy landing. The starship was probably already on some wanted list so all official landing stations were not an option. Luckily, Chanyeol had been in similar situations before so he knew where the illegal landing docks were but even that didn’t guarantee success.

Deciding on going to the last parking dock he had visited, Chanyeol tried to raise as little suspicions as possible. There were a lot of starships arriving to and departing from Coruscant so most radars were pretty useless. However, “Inlustris” wasn’t just any other ship and so Chanyeol tried to stay low and hide in the shadows of other ships as much as possible.

The familiar hangar door was open and Chanyeol manoeuvred the ship inside the landing pad with ease. Much to his surprise, the hangar seemed empty but this was a good sign. The less people saw the ship, the better.

Chanyeol chose to leave the ship in the darkest corner of the area. Right as he shut the last system off, Baekhyun and Sehun reappeared in the cockpit. Now the Prince was wearing a simple pair of jeans, a black T-shirt and a grey jeans jacket. Nothing about him screamed royalty anymore but Baekhyun’s beauty still made Chanyeol feel slightly out of breath.

“Is this better?”

Baekhyun seemed a bit pissed off but nevertheless, he had obeyed.

“Better.”

The pilot’s small smile made the Prince raise an eyebrow but he didn’t think much of it. An awkward silence set in as Chanyeol just kept staring at Baekhyun. So, Sehun decided to step in.

“So… What now?”

As if regaining his sense, the pilot stood up from his seat and started to move past the pair.

“Now you wait here for a bit. And pray that the owner of this place will be willing to hide us.”

Baekhyun’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Shouldn’t we participate too? I mean, your last meeting with someone ended with a shooting so...”

“I’ll be fine.”

“At least take Sehun. I’ll wait here but he’ll make sure you don’t do something dumb.”

Chanyeol watched the Prince cross his arms on his chest and knew the discussion was over then and there. After taking a quick glance at the droid, the pilot let out a defeated sigh.

“Fine. But I’ll do the talking.”

* * *

Baekhyun was bored out of his mind. Only fifteen minutes had passed but that seemed too much already. He wanted to know what was going on and if there was any good progress. Right as the Prince tilted his head back and started to spin the chair he was sitting in, Chanyeol returned to the cockpit with Sehun following suit.

“All good. Your droid here made it cost a fortune though.”

Sehun scoffed, still puzzling Chanyeol as to how a droid could actually scoff.

“I don’t think we can take any chances right now. Securing a safe deal is better than bargaining and risking having no deal at all.”

Baekhyun had to agree with his droid but now was not the time for fights. So the Prince simply changed the topic, hoping that the price Sehun had promised wasn’t too high after all. Although – would any price be too high for saving their home planet?

“Ok, so we’re settled. What now?”

“Now I’ll go to see my friend.”

Chanyeol was about to leave again and so Baekhyun and Sehun followed, making the smuggler stop and throw a glance back.

“Where do you think you two are going?”

“With you, of course.”

Baekhyun’s announcement made Chanyeol’s eyes widen.

“What?”

“You don’t know the situation well enough to arrange anything. So let’s go.”

Without another word Baekhyun squeezed past the other and Sehun soon followed. Chanyeol didn’t like this at all but then again the Prince did have a point. Taking a deep breath, the taller one followed the duo.

_It’s ok. Coruscant isn’t that bad. We’ll be ok._

* * *

As expected, the streets of the city were filled with life. Surprisingly, the trio seemed to fit right in. There were some stares aimed at Baekhyun but no one took them seriously.

Chanyeol was leading them along the crowded streets without any hesitation. That seemed to calm Baekhyun a bit since at least the other knew where he was going. Especially since the Prince himself was so taken aback by the city. The smuggler’s steps were quite huge so it actually took a bit of running for the Prince to catch up but once he did, Baekhyun decided to satisfy his curiosity.

“So, this friend of yours – is he trustworthy?”

“I’d trust him with my life.”

“Is he a childhood friend? Someone who used to be a partner in your smuggling ways?”

“You could say that.”

The vagueness annoyed Baekhyun but before he could make a remark about it, Chanyeol stopped walking and turned to face a diner.

“We’re here.”

The droid seemed unamused.

“A bistro? Are you hungry or something?”

Chanyeol let the question slide as he headed straight inside the establishment. Sehun and Baekhyun exchanged glances but decided to follow anyway. Before they managed to step a foot inside, Chanyeol was already by the counter.

“Yah! Do Kyungsoo! It’s time to get your ass beat!”

The sudden shouting made the droid and its Master exchange confused gazes again. Sehun was about to say something when a man suddenly appeared out of the kitchen and headed towards Chanyeol. The man was shorter and looked a lot meaner too. Baekhyun was ready to see Chanyeol get punched but as the two came close, the raised fists suddenly turned into a friendly hug.

“Ah, it’s so good to see you, Soo!”

“Wish I could say the same.”

The answer seemed mean yet the body language of the shorter one expressed the opposite. Chanyeol visibly wanted to continue the hug, but Kyungsoo pushed the taller one away.

“Ok, that’s enough. So, what do you need?”

This seemed to offend the taller one.

“Can’t I come and see my friend just because I miss him?”

“We both know it’s never the case with you, Park.”

“But it could be!”

“Well, is it?”

Kyungsoo’s knowing look made Chanyeol feel slightly bad.

“Sadly, no.”

“I knew it. So what is it?”

Without sparing a glance Kyungsoo headed for a table in the corner of the diner, while Chanyeol threw a gaze at Baekhyun and Sehun, beckoning them to join in.

“These are my friends and they need help.”

“Park Chanyeol is thinking about others and not just himself? That’s an improvement.”

“Soo, this is not the time for jokes. We have some serious people on our tails so we need to get stuff done as quickly as possible.”

“Fine, who are you running from?”

“Crimson Dawn.”

The announcement made Kyungsoo’s already huge eyes even wider.

“A crime syndicate?!”

The sudden scream made Chanyeol turn around and check their surroundings.

“Yes, try again. Maybe they didn’t hear you.”

This only made the owner of the place scoff.

“You know this is a safe place, Park. The same way you know I can’t help you with a damn syndicate.”

“I know. That’s why we wanted to see if you can suggest someone who will help us.”

“What do you mean? There’s no thief or smuggler, or even an assassin that could take out a whole organization.”

“Again – I know. We want to fight fire with fire or, in this case, a syndicate with a syndicate.”

Kyungsoo took a deep breath, trying to hold himself back from a rant about what an idiot Chanyeol was.

“Why would a syndicate help some nobodies fight against another syndicate? They are rivals but the five big organizations are on peace terms with each other. They don’t go around looking for reasons to fight.”

“First of all, we aren’t nobodies. Well, this guy here isn’t. Secondly, this is about territory. Aren’t syndicates quite bothered by such competition?”

Chanyeol was making no sense so Kyungsoo gave up trying to guess it.

“Just tell me the full story so I can see if there’s any hope.”

With that Chanyeol glanced at Baekhyun, figuring that the Prince himself should decide what and how much to reveal. After clearing his throat, Baekhyun tried to be as vague as possible.

“I’m the Prince of Naboo and Crimson Dawn wants to get us under their rule. We need something to fight against it.”

Kyungsoo seemed to be deep in thought.

“Ok, then it’s not as bad as it could be. Still pretty bad but yeah. How are Crimson Dawn affecting Naboo so far?”

“They are influencing the way King votes in the Senate. Once a deal is made, they will start to use Naboo as a base, bringing all sorts of things there from drug stocks to weaponry.”

“I see. Well, the good news is that Crimson Dawn isn’t the most liked out of the organizations. There are also several ways to go about this. If you want to go the syndicate route, I suggest asking the Pykes.”

Baekhyun had never heard the name.

“The Pykes?”

“Yes, the Pyke Family or the Pyke Syndicate. Same thing. I don’t know how much you know about Naboo, dear Prince, but Gungans you co-exist with sometimes trade with the Pykes.”

As far as Baekhyun’s knowledge went, Gungans were a peaceful race who enjoyed living in the waters of Naboo. He had heard that they were tall and goofy, not too bright. So, the very idea that they would cooperate with a crime syndicate truly shocked the Prince.

“What?!”

“Calm down. It’s nothing THAT bad. Just raw spices and smuggled goods. Nothing as crazy as what Crimson Dawn will bring.”

Noticing how startled Baekhyun was, Chanyeol decided to continue the conversation.

“Ok, why would they help us?”

“Crimson Dawn has a fragile alliance with the Pykes. But if ever the latter found out about the other messing with their territory… It could turn into a full-blown war and I’m not sure if you or Naboo is ready for it.”

Judging by Baekhyun’s face, the Prince really wasn’t fond of the idea so Chanyeol continued.

“You said this is the option if we want to go the syndicate route. Are there any other routes?”

“Well, Crimson Dawn is led by a Sith Lord, a ruler of the dark side. And who is a Sith Lord’s worst enemy?”

Sehun seemed unamused.

“A Jedi? Sure, the fight between the dark side and the light side of the Force has been raging on for ages. But do you really think we can get the Jedi Order involved? That would take ages!”

“Yes, they are slower than snails. That’s why I’d suggest keeping it as Plan B. I guess your syndicate rivalry idea really is the best option you have.”

The Prince finally seemed to have snapped out of the initial shock.

“Luck is in our favour because the Gungans would side with the Pykes, right?”

This made Kyungsoo smile.

“I’d say so. Trading most likely has bonded the two and I doubt your friends would want to change the order of things.”

“That’s good. Because then half of the planet would be on our side. Crimson Dawn doesn't have many armed forces there yet. And the Naboos… We would side with Gungans, no?”

This question was aimed at Sehun and after a moment of thought the droid nodded in agreement.

“There’s an eighty-six percent chance that humans would side with the Gungans for the sake of co-existing.”

The more Chanyeol heard, the more he started to like the plan.

“Good. So how do we get the Pykes involved?”

Kyungsoo seemed rather helpless.

“Sadly, I don’t have any contacts there. So my best guess would be going straight to the Pyke Palace on Oba Diah.”

This made both Chanyeol and Baekhyun raise an eyebrow but Sehun was the one to actually voice their thoughts.

“You expect us to just march into a crime syndicate’s stronghold and ask for help?”

“Yeah. Don’t go empty handed though. You need something to bargain with. Something the Pykes would want in addition to securing their territories.”

“And that would be?”

“Raw goods are their speciality but this favour is too huge. You’ll have to get something quite illegal and rare. Drugs like Sansanna spice. Maybe something more expensive. Something familiar to you.”

Chanyeol knew exactly what the playful tone meant.

“Coaxium?”

“Bingo!”

Baekhyun seemed confused.

“What the hell is coaxium?”

The smuggler could only sigh.

“It’s a very rare form of hypermatter which can be turned into a very expensive hyperfuel.”

“Expensive hyperfuel? That makes no sense.”

“Oh, it does. It’s extremely hard to come by and extremely hard to transport but the result is totally worth it. It is so potent that just a small amount is enough to power an entire fleet.”

“And you’re familiar with it?”

“Yeah. That’s the last job I did before getting on your ship.”

“You mean the job that went sideways?”

“Yes. As I said, it’s extremely hard to obtain. I wasn’t able to ensure the amount the client wanted and so I ended up running.”

This made Kyungsoo laugh.

“How many times have I told you to stop this bullshit and get a decent life?”

“You mean getting a bistro? Like you did?”

“Yeah! One of the best choices I’ve ever made.”

Chanyeol only snorted but Kyungsoo kept his tone calm.

“Ok, maybe not a bistro but something else you would like to do. There will come a time when you’ll realize that risking your ass isn’t worth it.”

“Yeah, well, there’s still stuff I need to do before that time comes.”

Sensing the atmosphere souring, Baekhyun decided to call it a day. They already heard what they needed anyway.

“Thank you for your help! Time is not on our side so we really should get going.”

“All I can say is good luck! You’ll need it!”

As everyone stood up, Kyungsoo didn’t hesitate to pull Chanyeol in for another hug.

“It was really nice to see you again. You know I mean it.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Hopefully, next time we’ll meet it won’t because of you being in trouble again.”

“Can’t promise that. But I’ll try.”

* * *

As the trio returned to the ship, Chanyeol hesitated to enter any coordinates. The struggle puzzled Baekhyun as he took the co-pilot seat once again.

“What’s wrong? You already know where to get the coaxium, no?”

This earned the Prince a deep sigh.

“I do. But I already struggled to obtain the last shipment. Who knows what amount will satisfy the Pykes.”

“It doesn’t have to be that much. Just enough for them to listen to us and let us live.”

“That’s still going to be a lot of coaxium.”

“So what can we do?”

“I don’t know. I need to think for a bit.”

Suddenly Chanyeol stood up and headed towards the exit of the cockpit. Of course, Baekhyun wanted to follow but he knew better by now.

“When will you be back?”

“Not sure. I’ll tell Sehun to keep an eye on you.”

With that the smuggler was gone and it took less than a minute for the said droid to appear in the doorway.

“Master, do you really think all this is a good idea? Trusting a smuggler? Involving syndicates?”

“I know it sounds bad but it’s the only option we have. Well, apart from me sacrificing myself. Although even that option could be in vain.”

The droid nodded in understanding. The conversation sure killed the whole mood in the cockpit and having to give his own life wasn’t something Baekhyun wanted to think about right now. For all he knew, this could be the last evening he could spend as a free person.

“Why don’t we go outside and explore a little more?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Master.”

“You never think anything is a good idea. Come on, let’s have some fun!”

* * *

After a few hours of desperately wandering around Coruscant, Chanyeol finally had a plan. He hated asking any favours but in this situation it seemed like the best shot he had. It was already well past midnight but Chanyeol knew they had to hurry.

Having made a huge circle around the city, Chanyeol returned to Kyungsoo’s bistro. As expected, the place wasn’t filled with folk at such an hour so getting the owner to spare another minute of his time was easy.

“Did you forget something?”

“I was just wondering if maybe you can help me get in contact with someone.”

“Someone who could get you coaxium?”

“Someone who owes it to me. At least some amount of it.”

“Follow me.”

Kyungsoo took Chanyeol through the kitchen to the back where a small pathway led to the owner’s office. It looked a bit shady, making the taller one question if the other has really left the illegal business. But now was not the time to discuss it. Even though Kyungsoo seemed to read his mind.

“These are old memories, not current activities. Lucky for you, still working memories.”

Kyungsoo opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out an old ComLink communicator. The device seemed old yet taken care of and with just a push of a button it came back to life.

“So… Who do you want to call?”

“Aurora.”

The ship’s name made Kyungsoo raise an eyebrow.

“You mean to tell me that Hongjoong owes you a favour?”

“No, I mean to ask you if you can get him on the line?”

Another sigh followed before Kyungsoo punched in the necessary code. He hadn’t spoken to Hongjoong in a while but he hoped that Aurora and its codes had stayed the same. After a few longer beeps the familiar voice finally filled the room.

“Kyungsoo? Is that really you?”

“Hi! It’s been a long time, huh?”

“I guess last time we talked was the casino deal? But I heard you’ve dropped out of illegal activities?”

“Both things are true. However, I have someone here who would like to talk to you.”

Taking it as his cue, Chanyeol joined the conversation.

“Hongjoong, hello!”

“Is that really Park Chanyeol I’m hearing right now?”

“Yes, the one and only.”

“Man, I’m still thankful for what you did back at Arkania. If not for you, our whole crew would’ve been done.”

“I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.”

“Anyway, why did you suddenly decide to look me up?”

“There’s a favour I’d like to ask from you.”

“I do owe one. What is it?”

“Maybe you happen to have some amount of coaxium?”

A moment of silence set in before Hongjoong spoke up again, this time with a serious tone.

“How much do you need?”

“Any amount would do. Trying to bribe a syndicate.”

Another pause followed.

“Ok, I’ll see what I can do. I have some in stock but maybe pulling some strings will help to get more.”

“Thank you! Do I have a destination?”

“Yeah, let’s meet on Etti. How much time can you give me for that string pulling?”

“We don’t have much time as we have someone on our tail too. What’s something you feel comfortable with?”

“A week? I know it’s long but hey, I’m putting in effort for you.”

“Ok, it’ll be fine. Thank you, man!”

“Sure. Will Kyungsoo get you a ComLink so we can catch up?”

Said man only nodded, opening the drawer once again, producing another old communicator and searching for a paper to put down Aurora’s communication code. All this made Chanyeol smile.

“Yeah, he’s got my back. So we’ll keep in touch?”

“Yes, in case there is any news. But other than that – see you on Etti.”

“See you on Etti.”

Just like that the conversation was over.

* * *

Chanyeol returned to the ship close to sunrise. Kyungsoo had offered a drink and they ended up reminiscing over their old adventures. With a smile still plastered on Chanyeol’s face, the smuggler entered the ship and slowly made his way to the cockpit. He and the other passengers hadn’t really made any sleeping arrangements but for now he’d be ok with sleeping in a chair if he had to.

Having curled up, he was about to drift off to sleep when Sehun rushed into the cockpit.

“Baekhyun has been kidnapped!”

“What?!”

This made Chanyeol suddenly very awake and sober.

“What do you mean kidnapped?” 

“He… He wanted to have some fun. We went out to a bar. It was all fun and fine. But then I lost him.”

“ _Lost_ him?”

“I think someone was onto us. I was sitting by the bar, watching Baekhyun dance, when my vision went out. Someone had cut my optical cable. Or more like sliced my throat.”

“How are you standing here then?”

“They pulled me out of the bar and dumped me in an alleyway. It took some time for the synthskin and biofibres to mend themselves. But yes, now I’m here.”

“That means we have no clue where Baekhyun is?”

“If we go around the city, I can use a lifeform scanner and scan the areas. I don’t think there would be many Naboos here. There’s no point for me to go alone though. Especially since they know how I look.”

“Ok, we need to somehow cover up your face. Get a scarf or something.”

“Do you have a plan already?”

“No. Let’s find him first to understand what or who we are dealing with. Then I’ll have a plan.”

* * *

Chanyeol and Sehun kept walking around from one neighbourhood to another, trying to find any traces of Baekhyun. However, it was pretty much like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“Can’t we ask that friend of yours?”

“I don’t think there’s a point. This was recent and he has been out of such things for years. Besides, pulling strings takes time. Baekhyun doesn’t have it.”

The droid knew this was true.

“So… Where do you think they took him?”

“No idea. Depends on who laid eyes on him.”

“What’s the worst case scenario?”

“Organ harvesters.”

Sehun’s eyes widened.

“And the best case?”

“Someone just looking for a slave or something.”

Suddenly Chanyeol seemed to realize something.

“Of course! Let’s go!”

Sehun could barely keep up as Chanyeol started running. They ran through several alleyways and paths, passing all sorts of establishments. The further they ran, the quieter and weirder the surroundings became.

Once Chanyeol finally stopped, Sehun struggled hard to catch up in terms of mapping. His mind seemed to still suffer from the attack. Chanyeol didn’t mind though as he started to slowly make his way down a dark side street. As his data finally caught up, Sehun slowly followed.

“Where are we going?”

“To one of the worst places in the city. Do you detect anything yet?”

“No, nothing. I guess I do have to inform you that my systems aren’t functioning properly.”

“Your scanner is damaged?”

“No, just slowed down.”

“Ok. As long as you can detect Baekhyun, we’re good.”

The couple continued to make their way through the dark side street. It took a while but suddenly Chanyeol signalled Sehun to stop. The droid peeked behind the human only to find that they had ended up on a street with a row of huge houses. Each house had a neon sign above its doorway – “House of Flowers”, “Bordello”, “Outlander Club” and many more. Each house was also secured with a high metal fence and Sehun’s scanner indicated a guard next to each of the entrances.

“Where are we?”

“Basically a red light district.”

“What? You think they brought Master here?”

“Maybe. Start scanning.”

The droid didn’t really understand his companion’s idea but listened anyway. The damage still affected it so Sehun looked straight at each house, struggling to focus and get the built-in lifeform scanner to work. Once “House of Flowers” came into his view, his eyes widened, making Chanyeol impatient.

“So?”

“I think it’s him.”

“You think or you’re sure?”

Another moment followed before Sehun gave a firm nod.

“It’s definitely a lifeform from Naboo.”

“Which house?”

“The flower one.”

“Crap.”

Now Chanyeol too was staring at the same establishment, trying to figure out what to do now.

“Is it the worst case scenario? The organ donor one?”

“No. “House of Flowers” is a brothel run by Madame Joy.”

“Why would they take him to a brothel of all places? He’s not interested in such places.”

Chanyeol couldn’t believe how naïve a droid could be.

“He’s not there as a guest. He is the entertainment.”

This left Sehun in utter shock.

“What?”

“We have no time to discuss it. We need to get him out of there.”

Another moment of silence followed when Chanyeol finally released the breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

“Ok. I think I got it.”

“A plan?”

“More like an idea but yeah. Can you hack a system?”

“A system? What kind of system?”

“Each one of those houses is operated by a security system. They want to make sure no one can get in uninvited. They also don’t want anyone to get out without their permission.”

“Are there any ports I could connect to?”

“Yeah, most of their cables are quite open. They are still guarded but we should be able to get to them.”

“Then yes, I can try my best.”

* * *

The preparations had taken them the whole day but as the sun was setting, Chanyeol was ready to put their plan into action. Wearing the suit provided by Kyungsoo and sporting a disguised in-ear that allowed him to communicate with Sehun, Chanyeol knocked on the door of the “House of Flowers”. The small window in the door opened and a suspicious pair of eyes scanned Chanyeol from head to toes.

“Who are you?”

“Park Chanyeol.”

“You’re not on the guest list.”

“I highly suggest you re-check the list.”

“You’re not on the list.”

On that note the window was slammed shut. Chanyeol stood his ground and tried to whisper as discreetly as possible to avoid any cameras figuring him out.

“Sehun?”

“I’ve put you on the list. VIP as we agreed.”

Having received this confirmation, Chanyeol knocked on the door again. The same set of eyes appeared and were definitely not pleased to see him again.

“You’re not on the list.”

“I was added last minute because someone else dropped out. So, please, do re-check.”

Despite the eyeroll, the creature behind the door seemed to finally comply. A few seconds later the same eyes appeared, this time wide and surprised. Then the window slammed shut again and the doors opened.

“We never have such last minute changes but you are on the list, sir. My apologies.”

The guard turned out to be a Twi’lek – a blue-skinned humanoid with two tails resting on his shoulders. He snapped his fingers and a much nicer guard appeared, beckoning Chanyeol to follow. Realizing that he was probably about to be taken to Madame Joy, Chanyeol started to wonder if maybe going VIP was a bit too much.

He followed the guard through poorly lit hallways of which on both sides one could see small rooms. The rooms didn’t have much in them – just enough candles to have some light and a huge bed right in the middle. Some were decorated a bit kinkier, others – more toned down. Apparently the establishment tried to cater different tastes.

The walk continued for a while until the duo found themselves in a bigger hall with a bar. There Madame Joy was already waiting, finishing mixing two drinks. She beckoned Chanyeol to sit down and take one.

“Park Chanyeol. Can’t say I remember the name but already a VIP?”

“Some are lucky enough to go from rags to riches in a moment.”

“And the first thing you do is look for some fun?”

Chanyeol could sense the doubt of the owner but he was confident in playing the role he had come up with.

“Well, not the first thing. But I have been lonely for quite some time and breaking that curse seemed like a good idea. Besides, I heard you have a wide selection of “fun”.”

Madame Joy took the other glass and approached Chanyeol, casually resting her hand on his thigh. This made him flinch but Chanyeol was as determined as ever.

“What kind of fun are you looking for?”

It was time to mention the two parameters Chanyeol and Sehun had discussed. First, the most obvious one.

“I’m looking for something expensive. Something exquisite. Maybe something royal?”

This made Madam Joy laugh.

“Do you think we would have princesses laying around? Don’t be so naïve.”

_So that was a no. Ok, time for the little secret Sehun had revealed._

“Then what about someone who is both pretty and…”

“And?”

“A virgin?”

This made the woman groping his leg break out in a wicked smile.

“My, my, my. So Park Chanyeol is both rich and very naughty?”

“A man wants what he wants. Can you provide?”

Feeling that their guest was obviously not interested in her, Madame Joy backed off a bit.

“Well, I’d say luck keeps following you, Mister Park. We recently got some fresh meat. Would you like to see it?”

“Is it the best you can offer?”

“We have a lot of great companions to offer. This one is a he though – would you be satisfied with that?”

“Definitely.”

“Alright. Follow me. But I do have to warn you – as a virgin, he’s really inexperienced and slightly nervous.”

“That’s fine.”

Madame Joy led Chanyeol through another dark hallway. In this one the rooms at least had doors. The woman stopped in front of one, opening it slightly. Chanyeol was allowed to peek inside and his heart both jumped and sank at the realization that the being on the bed was indeed Baekhyun.

“He’s a beauty, isn’t he?”

“Amazing.”

Chanyeol was about to step into the room when Madame Joy closed the door again.

“Since you’re new to this, I guess you don’t know how the payment system works. But basically – money upfront.”

“That’s fine. How much?”

The wicked grin was back on the woman’s face.

“How much are you willing to pay?”

“As you said – I’m new to this so I don’t really know the prices. Tell me the minimum you’re willing to accept.”

“How about… Oh, I don’t know… 50 million druggats?”

“Actually, I’m feeling generous. So maybe let’s make it 100 million?”

The announcement made Madame Joy’s eyes widen.

“What?”

“You have shown me nothing but welcoming kindness and the person in that room is just what I was looking for. So why not 100 million druggats? With the condition that no one will disturb us. No matter what sounds come from behind this door.”

Thinking that the customer was just willing to pay for something extremely inappropriate, the owner of the brothel decided to gladly accept. Besides, it wasn’t rare that VIP clients threw their money around like this.

“Deal.”

With that a guard appeared from the shadows and handed Madame Joy a tablet.

“But as I said – money beforehand, Mister Park.”

After opening the transfer application and punching in the necessary amount, the table was handed to Chanyeol who had to confirm it. At this point Chanyeol could only pray that Sehun would overrun the system just in time for the money to show up in the establishment’s account.

Trying to remain as confident as ever, Chanyeol confirmed the transfer. After a few seconds of processing, the tablet flashed a green notification, confirming the transaction and making Madame Joy happier than ever.

“Marvellous. Enjoy yourself, Mister Park.”

The door to the room was once again opened and this time Chanyeol managed to step in before it closed again. As expected, it was quite dimmed with only candles producing some sort of light. This also allowed Chanyeol to notice the cameras in every corner of the room. It wasn’t anything unexpected though.

Chanyeol felt his legs become a bit shaky as he approached the bed. Baekhyun was clearly out, probably under the influence of something. The taller one tried to play some show for the cameras as if he was approaching the other with serious intentions. However, Chanyeol was in fact contacting Sehun.

“I’ve got him. A few problems – he’s out and there are cameras here.”

“I can take the cameras out. You’ll just have to carry him.”

“Through the hallways?!”

“No. You got lucky indeed because this room actually has a passageway towards the sewers.”

“What’s the plan?”

“Try to hold the position for a few minutes. I’m recording it to put on a loop for the camera room.”

Chanyeol hated being so close to someone who most likely wouldn’t appreciate it. But he kept reminding himself that it was for Baekhyun’s own good. The minutes dragged like hours but finally Sehun’s voice returned.

“Ok, looped and cut off. Now look to your right, there should be a square plate.”

Now that the droid mentioned it, Chanyeol did see an oddly mismatched part on the wall. Upon closer inspection he could see some bolts keeping the metal in place.

“And how do I open this thing?”

Right as Chanyeol said it, the bolts turned and the plate fell off its place, revealing a small tunnel.

“You’re welcome and good luck with getting Baekhyun through it.”

That was easier said than done. The tunnel wasn’t big enough to exactly walk through it. As a result, Chanyeol ended up almost folding his spine and trying to carry Baekhyun over his shoulder at the same time. The task wasn’t easy but having the Prince in his arms sure fuelled Chanyeol’s motivation.

Every second counted and Chanyeol tried to move as quickly as possible. A few turns later the tunnel ended in what seemed like a sewer.

“Great. This is just great.”

“Less complaints and more movements. Looks like Madame and her guys know something is up. You might have company soon.”

“Crap. Ok, follow the plan.”

“Of course.”

The rest of the plan was easy enough – running as fast as Chanyeol’s legs could take him. Having memorized the floor plan, he knew exactly where to go. The distance was quite long but Chanyeol’s stamina was strong enough for it. At least the constant chases and some additional workouts showed their value.

The sewers were wet and slippery but that didn’t stop him. Chanyeol had a mission and, as usual, he would do anything to fulfil it. At least he could tell that he was getting closer to the destination as the lights returned in the streets and shined a bit on his path as well. A few more blocks later Chanyeol stopped next to a ladder that would lead them to the surface. As Chanyeol was trying to figure out how to open it and climb the ladder with Baekhyun in his hands, the lid suddenly opened and Sehun offered a hand.

“Need some help?”

“Aren’t you supposed to get the ship ready?”

“Already done. Now give me Master Baekhyun.”

Pushing an unconscious man up a ladder was probably one of the hardest things Chanyeol had ever done. But somehow Sehun managed to finally get hold of the sleeping Prince and easily pulled him up by the shoulders. Chanyeol took no time to get to the surface and now the trio were rushing towards Inlustris.

The ship was indeed ready for take-off and Chanyeol dashed for the cockpit, leaving Baekhyun in Sehun’s care. This oddly reminded the pilot of his first time on the ship because he had no idea where the hell they were going again. Using the same plan, Chanyeol got the ship out of the dock and away from the city, jumping into lightspeed as soon as it was possible.

“Ok, so far so good.”

Chanyeol felt like only a few seconds had passed but it indeed had been a while. At least enough of a while for Sehun to get Baekhyun into the medical part of the ship. The droid had placed its Master on the scanner to see what the man had been through. Deeming the situation safe enough for the autopilot, Chanyeol soon joined the two.

“Is he ok?”

“Looks like it. Not a lot of damage has been done. Only some drugs have been administered to get Master to pass out.”

“Well, that’s good news. If they had touched a hair on his body, they would have a serious problem.”

“The scanner shows that all hairs and everything else is intact and good.”

“Thank God.”

Sehun was a bit taken aback by how worried Chanyeol actually seemed. However, the droid didn’t think too much of it, writing it off as a simple human trait. Since Baekhyun would be fine soon, their new worry would probably be their next destination.

“So what now? Did you manage to arrange some plans before this mess?”

“Yeah, but we have to wait for a week.”

“I doubt Master will be happy about it.”

“Master should be happy that his little “fun night” ended so easily.”

This suddenly made the droid serious.

“Listen. Please, don’t blame him too much. Master hasn’t had a lot of opportunities to go out and actually socialize. That’s why he thought this was a good idea.”

“I warned you two-”

“Yes, you did. But Master doesn’t know much about this part of the society. That some creatures can be pure evil. He believes in giving anyone a chance. He believes in good. So having this idea destroyed will be hard on him already.”

“Fine. Something might slip but I’ll try to be easy on him.”

“Thank you.”

“So… When will he wake up?”

“No idea. But I can let you know when it happens.”

Chanyeol was unsure if Sehun really didn’t want him to be there but it sure sounded like it. An awkward pause set in as the smuggler hoped that the droid would continue speaking but nothing followed. Figuring that the moment had dragged on enough, Chanyeol released a sigh, took another good look at Baekhyun and turned around to head back to the cockpit.

“Let me know as soon as he wakes up.”

With that he was gone, leaving the Prince under the droid’s care.

* * *

Minutes ran by quickly and soon turned into hours. Three hours had passed and still nothing. Unable to take it any longer, Chanyeol decided to return to the medical area again. The sight shocked him – the sleeping form had vanished from the scanner and Baekhyun was nowhere to be seen. He quickly headed towards the Prince’s bedroom and sure enough Sehun was there, sitting and guarding the room.

“Where is he?”

“He woke up about an hour ago and is resting now.”

“And what about your promise to let me know?”

“I wanted to but Master felt nauseous so I put taking care of him as my priority.”

Chanyeol wanted to scold Sehun but he knew that scolding a droid would make no difference. Droids were just machines who acted based on some calculations and carefully planned decisions. If Sehun’s system had told him to put Baekhyun first, that’s just how it was.

Having given up on that thought, Chanyeol started to walk towards the closed door. His hand had already reached for the doorknob when the droid spoke again.

“I don’t think you should bother Master right now. He’s still not feeling well.”

“I want to know if he’s ok.”

“You might worry him too much. Remember what happened the first time?”

“That was different. Just let me have a talk with him.”

Chanyeol thought he could almost see the gears turning in Sehun’s head while the droid was probably calculating all the possible scenarios. It took a few seconds but finally an answer came.

“Fine.”

That was all the taller needed to hear before almost storming inside the bedroom and closing the doors behind him. Suddenly something about the droid just didn’t seem right and he didn’t like it one bit. But for now Baekhyun was the priority. It felt kind of weird to be so worried about someone he had just met. However, the sight of Baekhyun just laying there helpless had definitely left an impact on him. A feeling of responsibility, maybe.

Looking around the room, Chanyeol was surprised to find that Baekhyun wasn’t resting in his bed. The room seemed empty, barely touched. As he was making his way towards the bed, Chanyeol suddenly heard a faint sound of running water. Turning to his left, he found a door he hadn’t noticed the first time he had been in the room.

Chanyeol guessed by the sound that the ship apparently had some sort of a shower room. Although surprising at first, he thought that maybe it’s not actually that weird, considering that this was a ship designed to transport members of royal families. He slowly pushed the small door open and found himself in a medium sized room, which, as expected, had a shower. Baekhyun had sat down in the shower, letting the water cascade all over him. He didn’t even notice Chanyeol enter and so the latter made an awkward attempt at drawing the other’s attention.

“Hey.”

He was sure he had said it out loud but Baekhyun wasn’t fazed. So Chanyeol closed the door and made his way to the cubicle to try again.

“Baekhyun?”

That finally got the smaller one’s attention. However, Chanyeol sure wasn’t ready to see Baekhyun’s upset face. In a heartbeat he kneeled down, trying to check on the other.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Baekhyun was clearly struggling to keep it all in as the answer came out quite shaky.

“No.”

“Why are you here? Why aren’t you resting?”

The Prince was looking all around the place, trying to avoid making eye-contact again.

“Baekhyun?”

“Dirty.”

Chanyeol barely heard it.

“What?”

“Everything. Everything just feels dirty.”

The sobs returned and Chanyeol didn’t know what to do. Acting on emotions and without much thinking, he just plopped down next to Baekhyun, ignoring how his clothes immediately got soaked by the water. Initially, he didn’t know how to calm the other. But the Prince suddenly hid his face against Chanyeol’s arm and that was enough of a sign for the taller to pull the crying form into a tight hug.

“It’s ok. We got you out and you’re safe. Nothing is going to happen to you, ok? You’re safe.”

It took a while but eventually the sobbing stopped and Baekhyun’s breathing returned to normal. A few minutes later it seemed like he might even fall asleep like this. Deciding not to push it, Chanyeol tried to calmly get the Prince to consider a nice rest.

“Baekhyun, do you feel sleepy?”

“Mhm.”

“How about I turn the shower off and get you to a comfy bed?”

A pause set in but finally Baekhyun pulled back from Chanyeol.

“Ok.”

Having stopped the water, Chanyeol quickly spotted a towel to wrap the smaller one in. Baekhyun seemed to appreciate such a gesture, immediately pulling the soft fabric tighter around himself. Making sure that the Prince was following, Chanyeol slowly walked out of the shower and towards the bed, lifting the bedding for the other to get in. Realizing that Baekhyun was still clad in wet clothes, Chanyeol started to look around.

“This is probably a dumb question but do you have pyjamas or something?”

“Yeah, under the pillow.”

Retrieving the nightclothes from their spot, Chanyeol was mentally getting ready for a really awkward conversation. However, Baekhyun seemed to be having none of it as he suddenly pulled the clothes from Chanyeol’s hold.

“I can get ready myself. You can look for some dry clothes in the walk-in too.”

“Sure.”

Chanyeol wasn’t sure if the other was really concerned about him or just wishing to dress himself in peace but the smuggler didn’t actually mind in either case. Their interaction had clearly become awkward and he had no idea how to bring it back to normal.

Deciding on simply running away, Chanyeol quickly got into the walk-in, chose a shirt and some shorts to change into and took a deep breath before running out the door. Peeking through the door to make sure Baekhyun was ready, Chanyeol started to move.

“Well, I should be going. You need a lot of rest. Sleep well!”

Right as his hand touched the doorknob, a seemingly sad voice came from Baekhyun’s bed.

“You’re leaving?”

“Umm, yeah?”

Nothing else followed and Chanyeol didn’t know what to think. He just hoped that the other wasn’t crying again. Walking back to the bed again to check, Chanyeol found a visibly sad Prince snuggled up in a duvet.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can you stay here? Please?”

Many questions passed through Chanyeol’s mind but none of them actually came out of his mouth. He just stared back at the droopy eyes watching him ever so carefully. There was something about Baekhyun. Chanyeol didn’t understand what it was but something made him kind of protective of the Prince. Just like back in the shower, something was telling him to stay and take care of Baekhyun.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea? Won’t Sehun kill me?”

Baekhyun finally broke the gaze, now looking almost apologetic.

“I kind of already told him that you’ll stay here.”

“And he was ok with it?”

“He’s just a droid. He has to obey whatever I say so it’s not an issue.”

A moment of silence followed but the soft gaze just did things to one’s heart, even if it happened to be the heart of a smuggler. Eventually giving in, Chanyeol started to look around the room.

“Ok, I’ll stay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But where will I sleep? Do you have a sleeping bag or something?”

The apologetic gaze was back as Baekhyun tried to wrap Chanyeol around his finger.

“I was thinking you could stay here, with me.”

To accentuate his words, the Prince pulled the duvet back a bit, kind of awkwardly inviting Chanyeol to lay next to him. This only earned him a raised eyebrow.

“Are you really ok with it?”

“I’m the one suggesting it, aren’t I?”

Chanyeol really didn’t know what it was but something was pulling him to Baekhyun. Telling himself that the Prince probably just didn’t want to be alone after spending a whole day at the brothel, Chanyeol complied and got in next to Baekhyun. The smaller one seemed quite pleased with the turn of events, snuggling against the taller one right after he had gotten comfortable.

“Goodnight, Chanyeol.”

“Goodnight.”

This all seemed very odd but Chanyeol didn’t have a plan and so he decided to just roll with it. What could go wrong with just sharing a bed with someone?

Well, as morning would show, a lot, actually. The night had passed very calmly but Chanyeol sure wasn’t ready for the sight he was met with in the morning. As he opened his eyes, he felt a slight weight against his chest. Only then he remembered that Baekhyun was there too. Taking a glance at the other, Chanyeol was left breathless. Sure, he had noticed before that the Prince was good looking but this was something else.

Baekhyun was still asleep, his beautiful eyes still closed and arm wrapped tightly around Chanyeol’s waist. The Prince was breathing softly through parted pink lips and Chanyeol’s gaze maybe lingered on them a bit too long.

_No wonder people are after him._

Chanyeol was also kind of taken aback by how perfectly Baekhyun fit against his side. It was weird and new but certainly pleasant.

_Maybe this is how it should be?_

He would never admit it but Chanyeol didn’t actually have much experience with sharing a bed with someone. Heck, he didn’t have any experience with anything that had to do with another person. He started to wonder if his mind was playing tricks on him, making him feel things just because there was some contact. But his heart wanted to believe that maybe there really was something more to it.

Next thing he knew, Baekhyun opened his eyes, scaring Chanyeol a bit. But, the reaction actually made the Prince laugh and Chanyeol could swear it was the cutest sound ever.

“Good morning, ogler.”

“I wasn’t ogling!”

“Right.”

Baekhyun answered with a soft smile and laid his head back on Chanyeol’s chest.

“Your heart sure is beating fast.”

“You make it beat faster.”

“What?”

“What? I think we should get up and find some breakfast.”

With that Chanyeol suddenly started to get out of the bed, effectively pushing Baekhyun off of him.

“I’m pretty sure Sehun has taken care of it.”

Chanyeol was by the door in no time, forgetting that he was still wearing the Prince’s clothes.

“But maybe-”

His words were cut off as he opened the door and indeed the droid was already sitting there with a fully set table. Baekhyun laughed at Chanyeol just standing in the doorway and staring as he himself got out of the bed and pushed past the taller one towards the breakfast table.

“Told you. Now come and eat.”

* * *

At first Chanyeol had worried that Baekhyun would become awkward after everything that had happened. But it looked like the smuggler himself was the awkward one. It was somewhat alright when it was just him and Baekhyun. However, as soon as Sehun joined them, it got real awkward real quick and he started to blurt non-sense.

Having told Sehun to stay in the back, Baekhyun decided to join Chanyeol in the cockpit. Maybe that way they could have a proper conversation.

“Hey.”

Chanyeol was just looking at the scenery, trying to barely register the presence of the other.

“Hey.”

The Prince didn’t really appreciate the lack of enthusiasm. Plopping down into the co-pilot’s seat, he decided to push forward.

“So… Where are we going?”

“I don’t know.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“Well, I managed to arrange a meeting with a friend who will help us. But that’s in a week. Not sure what we can do for a whole week.”

About a minute passed when Baekhyun spoke up again, finally earning Chanyeol’s attention and gaze.

“How about we go somewhere safe and beautiful?”

“You know such a place?”

“Yeah. I’d really like to go there, actually.”

“Where is it?”

“Planet Ithor.”

“Ithor? There’s nothing there.”

“Isn’t it perfect?”

The request seemed rather odd but Chanyeol couldn’t resist Baekhyun, not when the other was sporting such a smile.

“Ok, Ithor it is.”

The pilot quickly punched in the coordinates and the ship’s automated voice confirmed their destination.

“Destination “Ithor” approved. Estimated arrival in 16 hours.”

It was quite far away but Chanyeol could only hope Baekhyun knew what he was doing. Right as the smaller one was about to leave, a sudden thought entered his mind.

“Chanyeol?”

“Yeah?”

“You won’t sit here the whole night, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“I just hope that tonight you’d help me sleep peacefully again.”

The pilot didn’t answer so Baekhyun left, quite confused and maybe even a bit hurt. But it didn’t stay that way for too long when Chanyeol showed up once it was time for bed again. As he entered the room, he could hear the shower running again. Figuring that maybe this time the Prince wouldn’t want him there, he just got into the bed and tried to get comfortable, at the same time wondering how not to be utterly awkward.

The water stopped a few minutes later and soon Baekhyun appeared, dressed in a soft bathrobe and drying his hair in a towel. Seeing Chanyeol made him smile.

“I thought you wouldn’t return.”

“I have to admit – this is a lot more comfortable than the pilot’s chair.”

“Not going to even protest it. But… There’s actually something I want to ask you.”

“What?”

“You can say no anytime but… I want to try something.”

“Okay.”

That sounded weird but Chanyeol had decided not to let his uneasiness show.

“Can you sit on the bed? With your legs on the ground?”

“Sure.”

Chanyeol did what he was told, watching Baekhyun make his way towards the light switch.

“It’ll be easier to ask without actually looking you in the eyes.”

“You can’t say that doesn’t sound weird.”

“I know it does. But trust me. And remember – you can say no, ok?”

“Yeah.”

Baekhyun flipped the switch and the room was filled with darkness, the stars flashing by the window providing the only source of light. Chanyeol could faintly make out the other’s body as Baekhyun made his way towards him, but nothing more than that.

“Ok, close your eyes for a bit. Don’t worry – I’m not going to do anything to you.”

Chanyeol could hear Baekhyun’s steps getting closer, followed by something he could only describe as fabric falling. Next he could feel the other take his hands and place them on something smooth, yet slightly cold.

“You can look.”

The stars provided poor lightning but Chanyeol thought he was presented with the most magnificent view ever. Baekhyun had left his robe on the floor a few steps ago and now was standing completely naked in front of Chanyeol. The latter’s eyes were on the same level as Baekhyun’s curves and he didn’t dare to look anywhere below that. Realizing that Baekhyun had placed his hands on his hips made Chanyeol gulp. This seemed enough of an encouragement for the Prince to finally speak.

“I know Sehun told you about my lack of experience. While that’s embarrassing enough, the time I got to spend at that place made me realize a few important things. One of them being the fact that I want my first time to be by my rules. When I choose to and with whomever I choose.”

“Baekhyun-”

“As I said, you can refuse me. But I would so much rather that you didn’t.”

After this the Prince stopped talking, allowing Chanyeol to take everything in and make a decision. The taller one was seemingly having an internal dilemma and Baekhyun couldn’t blame him. In fact, it would be a lot worse if Chanyeol jumped at the opportunity. However, seeing him weighing the options so carefully only convinced Baekhyun that he had made the right choice.

A good minute passed when Baekhyun felt Chanyeol slightly pulling him closer and his face touching Baekhyun’s stomach. Then he started to leave soft, slow kisses all over the skin presented to him. This was driving the Prince a bit wild, as he hadn’t even held hands with anyone properly before, much less experienced something like this. It felt intimate, gentle, sensual. It definitely felt right.

The kisses were becoming needier and needier and Baekhyun couldn’t help but let his hands tangle in Chanyeol’s hair and pull the other closer. Noticing that he was wearing a shirt, Baekhyun wanted nothing more than to pull it off of Chanyeol’s body.

He was about to reach for it when suddenly an alarm went off throughout the ship, informing about some issues with the route. Chanyeol rested his forehead against Baekhyun’s stomach before standing up.

“Sorry. I’ll sort it out and come back, ok?”

“Ok.”

With that Chanyeol was gone.

* * *

“What’s going on?”

Chanyeol was surprised to find Sehun in the cockpit but he didn’t have time to think much of it.

“Looks like we’ve run into an asteroid field.”

“What? But there wasn’t one in the map. The system would’ve informed us-”

That’s when the pilot’s gaze landed on the automatic ship record on the screen. It clearly stated that the ship’s route had been changed about three minutes ago.

“Sehun?”

The droid ignored him.

“Sehun!”

That earned Chanyeol a death glare but as the pilot was starting to manoeuvre between the giant rocks around them, Sehun finally gave in. This had to be a lesson, after all.

“I won’t allow you and Master to do something stupid.”

“Something stupid? I believe it’s Baekhyun’s choice what he wants to do and with whom.”

“This is not in Master’s best interest.”

“How would you know?”

Chanyeol struggled a bit with both piloting the ship through what was basically a mine field and scolding the damn droid. However, Sehun’s smirk didn’t go unnoticed.

“Master still hasn’t told you.”

“Told me what?”

Now the smirk turned into a grin.

“Well, I believe it’s Baekhyun’s choice to inform you or not. Focus on flying, Park.”

As an asteroid flew extremely close by, Chanyeol had no other option but to obey, giving his full attention to the view in front. This wasn’t the worst one he’d had to go through but asteroid fields were never a piece of cake. Using every ounce of his reflexes, the pilot kept successfully swerving the ship left and right, avoiding every possible collision in their way. Even Sehun had to admit it was quite impressive. He would never admit it aloud though.

It took around five minutes till Chanyeol finally saw the edge of the field. He could only hope that the crazy manoeuvres hadn’t made Baekhyun sick. They had almost made it out of danger when the ship got shaken up by a hit on its tail. Although it could be felt, it didn’t seem like too much damage had occurred. At least the ship’s systems didn’t warn about any leaks.

Checking all the systems a few times and making sure that the route to their destination was correct, Chanyeol stood up from his seat. Sehun was still sporting a smug smirk but the pilot knew exactly how to wipe it off the droid’s face.

“You didn’t even know if I was a good enough pilot or not but still risked it. I would think twice before celebrating almost killing your Master.”

It indeed worked but the pilot didn’t want to engage in any further discussions and left the cockpit.

As expected, Baekhyun had turned the light on and there was no evidence of any intimacy left. The Prince had curled up in the bed and Chanyeol could only hope it wasn’t because of what the two had started.

“Baek?”

A head suddenly popped out of the duvet.

“Finally! Is everything alright? That was some crazy tossing around.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. We had just stumbled upon some unexpected asteroids. All should be good now.”

Turning the light off again, Chanyeol slid into the bed next to Baekhyun and the smaller one snuggled up to him just like the night before. It was clear to both that the moment was gone. At least for now. However, in Chanyeol’s opinion, this didn’t mean that he couldn’t ask any questions.

“Baekhyun?”

“Hmm?”

“Can we talk a bit about it? About what almost happened?”

“I guess so.”

“You said you wanted it to be by your rules. But why don’t you trust destiny?”

“It hasn’t been in my favour lately.”

“Still.”

A moment of silence set in and Chanyeol decided to continue to keep the conversation going.

“This probably sounds silly but… I do believe that everyone has someone out there planned for them. No one is destined to be alone and you too could find someone any moment.”

“Although it sounds quite nice, it doesn’t work like that in my world.”

“What do you mean?”

“You previously asked how my father plans to tighten the relationship with Crimson Dawn.”

“Yeah?”

“He has arranged a marriage. Between me and the leader of Crimson Dawn, Choi Seunghyun.”

Baekhyun’s voice was laced with sadness and Chanyeol couldn’t blame him. Crimson Dawn’s leader was known to be a particularly nasty man, coming up with the craziest punishments for anyone living in the areas he wanted to own.

“You have no say in it at all?”

“Sadly, no. What makes things even worse is that my virginity has been announced as an additional bonus or something. I hate it.”

“I can’t believe anyone would agree to this.”

“They have my father hypnotized or something. He believes in them and would give anything to them.”

Another pause set in but this time Baekhyun was the one to break it.

“That’s why that brothel scared me so much. Judging by the rumours, Choi’s bedroom is going to be the same if not worse. And not just him. Guards coming and going. Not to protect me, of course. To have a fun time.”

The more Chanyeol listened, the more his heart broke. But all this also gave him a new determination.

“That’s not going to happen. The Pykes will get involved so you won’t have to.”

“We don’t even know if they’ll agree.”

“They have to. There’s no other way.”

Baekhyun thought that was the end of the conversation as nothing more followed. He was about to fall asleep when Chanyeol spoke up again.

“Although the whole situation is complete shit… I don’t think rushing into things is a good option.”

“I get it. You don’t want me and that’s fine.”

“I never said that. But I do think that some things should be done according to certain rules.”

“And what rules govern losing one’s virginity?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong but it shouldn’t be with someone random. It should be with someone special. Even better – with someone you love.”

“Well, I don’t have the time to find someone like that, do I?”

“We have a week. How about I get you to fall in love with me?”

That actually made Baekhyun laugh and Chanyeol didn’t know whether or not to be offended. But what followed made Chanyeol’s heart jump a bit.

“Sure, why not?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I like you already so it’s not that impossible.”

“Good. Because I like you too.”

With that Chanyeol tightened his hold around Baekhyun and left a small peck on the other’s forehead.

“Let’s get a bit of sleep now. And we’ll talk about becoming boyfriends tomorrow.”

“Boyfriends?”

There it was again – Baekhyun’s laugh, the music to Chanyeol’s ears.

“Boyfriends. Now goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

* * *

For Chanyeol, the morning had started the same way as the previous one – a few minutes of admiring a sleeping Baekhyun, a quick breakfast and a quick shower. At least the breakfast didn’t seem as awkward anymore. Although Sehun probably didn’t appreciate the sickly sweet shy smiles the couple kept sharing.

Arriving at Ithor was a piece of cake. It was quite refreshing after all the huge cities Chanyeol had spent most of his time in. The planet was full of lush life and seemed like no civilization had touched its surface. In fact, building great floating islands to build their lives on in an effort to not harm their planet, Ithorians themselves hadn’t even touched it.

Baekhyun had joined Chanyeol in the cockpit to show which island they should land on and the pilot masterfully complied with the request.

As the trio left the ship, Chanyeol was surprised to find that a small house was hidden in the greenery and an Ithorian had actually come out to greet them. Well, Baekhyun in particular. The Prince returned the greeting before turning around to face Chanyeol.

“This is Max, the oracle who has served our dynasty for many decades. I have something to discuss with him. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not. Do what you need to do. I’ll just check on the ship to make sure nothing was damaged.”

“It won’t be long.”

With that the Ithorian turned around and started to make his way to his home with Baekhyun and Sehun soon following him. Only after the droid had closed the door behind them did the Oracle dare to speak.

“What is troubling you, my child?”

“Naboo is experiencing tough times and I was wondering if you could give any advice as to how I could change it.”

“You know I can only hear the call of Mother Jungle and she loves to talk in riddles. There is no clear advice if that’s what you seek.”

“I understand but any input you could provide would be greatly appreciated.”

Baekhyun knew there was no point in revealing the whole story as Ithorians didn’t care about such details. They just heard the Mother Jungle’s call and passed it on. The listener could decide what to do with it after. Watching Max set up the usual procedure of candles, incense and plants, Baekhyun patiently waited for whatever the other was going to say.

First, a small fire was lit on a wide plate. Next, the Oracle added some dried leaves and herbs the Prince didn’t even recognize. As they started to burn, the Oracle closed his eyes and inhaled the smoke before giving in to a rhythm of swaying only he could understand.

“I see big changes. There is a man who will bring them. Two planets united and a monkey stuck in a circle. It’s destined. It’s fate. A perfect match. I see fear at first but all will end well. Don’t try to solve what isn’t yours to solve.”

Baekhyun was catching every sentence but all together they didn’t make a coherent thought. Two planets united – he wondered if it could mean Crimson Dawn’s home planet and Naboo. A monkey stuck in a circle – it sounded like something he could feel, stuck in an unhappy arranged marriage.

_How could it end well though?_

“You will have to give up something important to gain success.”

That was the first sentence that actually made sense to Baekhyun. Giving up his freedom to save his planet. It seemed like it was all the Oracle had to gather but Baekhyun believed it was enough. He was fighting something that seemed destined. That was also the last sentence the Oracle seemed to hear from the call. Max opened his eyes and looked straight at Baekhyun.

“That’s all the advice I could gather.”

“Thank you! It’s already more than enough.”

The Oracle seemed pleased as his visitor didn’t protest any detail or fact. He had always known Baekhyun was smarter than that. Smarter than his father.

“I wouldn’t worry about anything, my child. Mother Jungle said it’s destined. Follow your heart and let it happen.”

This almost brought tears to the Prince’s eyes but he knew this was no place for that. Thanking the Oracle again, Baekhyun stood up, bowed and made his exit with Sehun closely behind him.

Just by the look on the Prince’s face Chanyeol could tell that Baekhyun had heard something he hadn’t wanted to hear. Baekhyun didn’t even glance at him before running onto the ship. So all Chanyeol could do was direct a questioning look towards Sehun. The droid didn’t seem much more talkative though.

“We’re leaving.”

“Ok, what is our next destination?”

“I don’t think we have one.”

“Can I propose something?”

“Sure.”

“We need the closest planet that has a workshop. That last hit has damaged our tail a bit. Nothing too bad but it’s better to repair it before we lose the hyperdrive.”

“Fine. It is your call.”

Soon after, the droid vanished inside the ship. Chanyeol didn’t really appreciate the cold treatment the couple was giving him. But then again he didn’t really know what they had heard just now. Maybe it was something really bad.

Chanyeol returned to the cockpit to see the maps of the region they were in. Of course, there was no technically advanced planet nearby so Chanyeol started to look at neighbouring sectors. Then a particular planet came to his view.

“Oh no.”

He looked for other choices but there seemed to be none. Every other planet in the neighbouring sectors seemed to be uninhabited or ruled by someone they shouldn’t run into. There was a whole crime cartel on their asses, after all. Seeing that they had no other options, Chanyeol took a deep breath before punching in the coordinates. The automated voice announced a destination he really didn’t want to hear.

“Destination “Tatooine” approved. Estimated arrival in 20 hours.”

“Home sweet home.”

Chanyeol couldn’t hide the sarcasm in his voice. Figuring that there was no point in dwelling on it too much, the pilot decided to go to the back and see what Baekhyun and Sehun were up to. He just hoped not to find Baekhyun in the shower again.

Luckily, this time Baekhyun was only curled up on the bed. Without much thinking, Chanyeol got in the bed as well and pulled the smaller one closer, spooning Baekhyun to hopefully make him feel safe.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah. Just didn’t hear what I had planned to hear.”

“I’m not really sure how oracles work. What did he say?”

“He basically told me to believe in destiny.”

“That’s not bad advice, is it?”

“I’m not sure about that.”

“Well, maybe we are destined too? The way we met and how I’m taking you to my home planet.”

The last part made Baekhyun turn around in Chanyeol’s hold.

“What?”

“Tatooine. It’s the closest place for us to get the repairs we need.”

“Seriously? I’ve never been to Tatooine before!”

“Don’t get your expectations too high. I don’t think you’ll like it.”

“Why?”

“It’s a never ending desert. There’s nothing much to see there and the people living there do crazy stuff just to live by. We’ll also have to watch out a bit.”

“Why? Have you done something crazy?”

“Kind of. But I’m not sure if I’m ready to share that story just yet.”

“That’s fine. Can I at least know what we’re running from though?”

“My family. And pretty much our whole neighbourhood.”

Baekhyun’s lips formed a visible “oh”. Family drama was definitely something he knew all too well. The Prince reached out to caress Chanyeol’s cheek and the other seemed to really enjoy it, leaning into his hand like an affectionate cat would.

“Ok, if I see someone tall and extremely handsome, I’ll run away.”

“Deal.”

* * *

That night Chanyeol decided to take advantage of the fact that they weren’t able to jump lightspeed. Baekhyun could only watch in amusement as the other seemed to rearrange some furniture in his bedroom. The taller one seemed to clear the way right next to the window and then push one of the giant armchairs beside it. Then the chair was filled with some pillows to make it extra soft.

Next Chanyeol got comfortable in his newly built throne and beckoned for Baekhyun to turn off the light and bring the duvet. Having done everything the other had asked, the Prince approached the ridiculously packed seat.

“Now what?”

“Try to find a way to get cosy on my lap.”

This earned Chanyeol a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk.

“It’s not what you think.”

“Right.”

Baekhyun still obeyed and only after Chanyeol had covered them with the duvet did he realize the fantastic view of stars behind the window.

“I’m so used to seeing little white lines flashing by.”

“Yeah, seems like most of us have forgotten the true beauty of the galaxy.”

Chanyeol started to talk about the different stars they could see from their seat. It was clear that it was a passion of his and Baekhyun was taken aback by how much there actually was to know about stars. They kept talking for what seemed like hours, covering the life cycle of stars, the purpose of moons and now Chanyeol was excitedly pointing out different constellations.

“And you see that very bright star? It’s part of Canis Majore or the Great Dog.”

“Is that where the Dog Star comes from?”

“Yeah, the Dog Star is part of the Great Dog. Its actual name is Sirius. Well, Sirius A to be exact.”

“Sirius A? Is there a Sirius B?”

“Actually, there is! Some affectionately call it the Pup.”

This made Baekhyun laugh.

“The Dog Star and the Pup? That sounds cute.”

“Not as cute as you though.”

That drew Baekhyun’s attention away from the view outside the window and to the man next to him. A moment of silence set in but it wasn’t awkward. If anything, it was promising something greater. The two kept scanning each other’s faces until both fixed their gazes on the other’s lips. After some thinking, Baekhyun decided to just go with it, placing a soft kiss right on Chanyeol’s lips. He repeated the action a few times before the other pulled him closer, moving his lips against the Prince’s and not letting go so soon.

Baekhyun knew this wasn’t much but it still was enough to wake up butterflies in his stomach. Chanyeol’s lips were so soft and full, and they fit so perfectly against Baekhyun’s own. It felt just right, as if this was meant to be in the first place. The only thing that made them break apart was the need to have a fresh breath of air.

“Baekhyun?”

“Mmm?”

“I think we still have some undiscussed matters left for today.”

“The becoming boyfriends talk?”

“Yeah.”

Chanyeol pulled back a bit and the sincerity in his eyes took Baekhyun slightly aback.

“You can say no and we can leave it at that. But if you really want to go through with what you asked of me… I think it’s a good option. I mean. Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure we like each other quite a bit.”

“You’re wrong.”

The sudden announcement widened the other’s eyes.

“I think we like each other a lot.”

Baekhyun was visibly amused by the little heart attack he had given to Chanyeol but the latter didn’t mind. The Prince’s laughter brought the weird feeling back again. Just a few days had passed since they met but it almost felt like they had known each other for years. The pull was there and it felt so right.

“Ok, I’ll agree to it. We like each other a lot so… Why not?”

This seemed to have Baekhyun thinking and suddenly the laughter ended and the smile vanished.

“You do realize it won’t be lasting though?” .

“Lasting?”

“Yeah. I mean, our plan could fail any minute and that would be it.”

“You know I’d fight for you.”

“I would much rather you didn’t. I don’t want you to die for me. It’s not worth it.”

“It is!”

“Don’t fight with me on this, ok? Besides, even if our plan succeeds… I’m not sure what the future holds for my planet, much less for me or us.”

The Oracle’s words still haunted Baekhyun, making him wonder if the arranged marriage could truly be his destiny. Without even knowing the prediction, Chanyeol understood that there was a lot of unknown ahead of them. Yet the same weird feeling reassured him that maybe, just maybe this would work.

“How about this – let’s just trust destiny? Let’s enjoy the time we will have together for as long as fate will allow it. Be it a week, a month or maybe even years.”

Baekhyun wanted to believe Chanyeol’s words. He really did, yet doubts didn’t quite leave him.

“You don’t even know me.”

“Well, I’d love to get to know you. From what I’ve seen so far – you’re beautiful inside and out and I doubt anything will change my thoughts.”

The Prince had a very good idea of what the future held for him and it sure wasn’t pleasant nor pretty. So having this extremely handsome guy saying all these nice things sounded really tempting. Even though Baekhyun was convinced he knew how everything would end, his curious heart couldn’t help but wonder if maybe this could be the one and only week of happiness he would ever have. If that was indeed so, then he sure didn’t want to miss it.

“Ok.”

“Ok what?”

“I agree to be your boyfriend.”

The smile which accompanied Baekhyun’s announcement made Chanyeol smile as well. It was all Chanyeol needed to hear to capture the other’s lips in another sweet kiss, which turned out to be only the first of many they would share that night.

* * *

Tatooine turned out to be as much of a mess as Chanyeol remembered it. Despite landing in the capital of the whole planet, the entirety of their view was plain sand and sad rock houses that seemed to be quite uncared for. Baekhyun watched the structures with interest as the couple was passing them by, making Chanyeol smile.

“If you think these are bad, you should see the slums on the outskirts of the city.”

“I don’t want to offend you but… It seems like people here are quite poor.”

“They actually are. There aren’t many ways to earn here. There are no resources to grow or obtain. There are no flows of tourists to keep business open.”

“How do people earn something then?”

“Sadly, by doing a lot of illegal stuff. Illegal races, illegal garages and selling of illegal goods. That’s why I asked you to leave Sehun behind – if we were to leave the ship without anyone on board, it would be either gone or picked apart by the time we returned.”

“And the government is ok with it?”

“There is no government here. Naboo is really organized and you have a proper structure of ruling. This place is pretty much the wild.”

“So no one controls it?”

“As anything illegal, it’s run by cartels. Tatooine used to basically be owned by the Hutts. Since the last time I was here, their power had decreased. No idea who is in charge now.”

“How old were you when you left?”

“I was still a teen. Maybe six years ago?”

“You lived with your family before that?”

The mention of a family visibly changed Chanyeol’s expression and Baekhyun decided to backtrack even without getting a response.

“Right, sorry. Let’s not go there. Anyway, what are we looking for?”

“We need to find some parts to fix the hyperdrive generator with. I was also thinking about installing some ion charges so we can actually shoot at anyone who stands in our way. Finding some fuel wouldn’t be too bad either.”

“That’s quite a lot.”

“Not really. But I’m a bit concerned if this dump actually has anything for a royal ship. Such beauties don’t fly here often.”

“Yet you know how to fly it?”

“Ships don’t differ enough to make it impossible to fly. Sure, there are some tricks to learn here and there but it’s not that bad.”

As the couple kept on walking, the city’s streets seemed to become more and more lively. The homes still looked pretty abandoned but at least now all sorts of creatures were running around, carrying some tools and parts. Then Baekhyun understood – they had reached what seemed a marketplace and the ones running around were most likely sellers, trying to please every clients’ wishes.

With a nudge from Chanyeol as a sign, both covered their faces with scarves, hoping that it would make them less recognizable. Baekhyun patiently followed as Chanyeol kept moving from booth to booth to see if anyone had the repair parts they needed. Yet, the never ending movement seemed to indicate that there were none.

They continued to walk around until they had completed all the circles of the market and Baekhyun couldn’t help but notice Chanyeol’s rising uneasiness. They had agreed not to talk in case someone recognized their voices, be it someone from Chanyeol’s past or someone after Baekhyun, but the Prince didn’t want to continue walking around blindly.

“Nothing?”

“No.”

“What now?”

“There is one more option. An option I very much don’t want to try. But it looks like there’s nothing else left.”

“What is it?”

Chanyeol threw a glance to the right and Baekhyun followed it only to find an old repair shop.

“NCT’s shop. Not the nicest place to be but I’m quite sure they will have what we need.”

“So why didn’t we go there in the first place?”

The smuggler glanced at Baekhyun before starting to walk towards the said shop.

“They most likely will kill me.”

Without much thinking the Prince grabbed the other by the hand to hold him back.

“What? Then we can’t go there!”

“We have to. Our hyperdrive is gone. Without it we will never make it in time to put our plan into motion. We also won’t be able to run away if ever those after you find us. We need to do this.”

After a few seconds of deliberation Baekhyun released his hold on Chanyeol, making a promise to himself to look after the other.

The repair shop didn’t seem like much. It was filled with all sorts of disassembled ships and droids, different parts scattered all over the shop’s floor. Baekhyun guessed that it was a paradise for those who understood these things. To him it seemed like a huge mess.

Nonetheless, Chanyeol moved around with expertise even in the chaos that now surrounded them. Baekhyun noticed how he masterfully avoided the gazes of the guys working around the shop. Their arrival sure didn’t go unnoticed but Baekhyun didn’t think much of it. He could do the talking once the time came and keep Chanyeol out of the spotlight.

They wandered around for a bit before exiting to the backyard which was also filled with all sorts of parts. Baekhyun really didn’t know how the other could make sense of anything there but suddenly Chanyeol almost jumped, lunging forward and pulling something out of the pile. Baekhyun didn’t know what it was. It just looked like a rectangular metal box, if anything. Seeing the other’s lack of enthusiasm, Chanyeol decided to help.

“This will fix the hyperdrive. So our main issue is solved.”

“Does it even work?”

“It must. Even if it doesn’t, I could try to use the parts to fix the old one.”

Suddenly a voice resonated from behind Chanyeol’s back.

“If it doesn’t work? Are you seriously insulting my goods, Park?”

Chanyeol’s eyes grew wide at the mention and on a whim Baekhyun decided to try to salvage the situation to the best of his abilities.

“You must be mistaken. My servant didn’t mean to offend anyone. We would like to buy this and go.”

“Aren’t you interested in the price?”

“We really need this part so price isn’t an issue.”

“One hundred thousand druggats.”

Of course, for a royalty, it was nothing.

“Deal. Let’s go to the cash register while my servant here takes care of it.”

Baekhyun was about to squeeze past the owner of the shop when the man blocked Baekhyun’s way with his hand.

“Enough with this theatre. Turn around, Park. I know it’s you.”

Chanyeol knew there was no way out of this. The gig was up and they would be lucky if at least Baekhyun came out of this alive. Deciding to still try to charm the owner, Chanyeol removed his scarf and turned around with the widest smile.

“Taeyong, didn’t notice you there. How have you been?”

“Are we really going to play that game again?”

“No games here. Just came for some parts, found them. Let us pay and we’ll be on our way.”

“You know this is not how it works, Park.”

“Come on, I know the job went sideways but it wasn’t bad enough to hold a grudge like this.”

“Really? Losing everything our families owned wasn’t bad? Leaving us behind to deal with the consequences wasn’t bad? Getting shunned and hated – all that really wasn’t bad enough?”

Chanyeol had to agree that it sounded quite bad.

“Well, ok. It’s not that good. But we can surely talk it out!”

“No. No, I don’t think we can.”

Meanwhile Baekhyun kept scanning their surroundings. There was a high wall around the backyard so he didn’t think there was a visible way to run. However, it was clear that the situation could escalate very soon very badly. Taking a few steps back from the hand preventing him from leaving, Baekhyun started to look over the building. Then he noticed a little window to his left. He wasn’t sure if he could squeeze through it but it seemed worth a try.

“Listen, I don’t want to step on any toes here. There must be a way to solve this.”

Chanyeol kept rambling on, clearly stalling for time. Baekhyun tried to somehow signal to him about the window but it came out rather awkward. The smuggler clearly didn’t understand until Baekhyun started to mouth the word “window”. It seemed to be enough though when Chanyeol nodded and suddenly made his way towards Taeyong.

“I really am sorry for what I did. And I’m also sorry for what I’m about to do, ok?”

Right as the shop owner’s eyebrow raised in confusion, Chanyeol landed a punch to his face, knocking the man off his feet. They didn’t have much time to escape and so the couple ran to the window, trying to quickly get through it. It seemed more successful than they had hoped. However, landing inside the shop premises revealed that the rest of the crew hadn’t been waiting around doing nothing. No, all of them had found a weapon of some sort and were ready to lunge at the intruders.

Without much thinking Chanyeol grabbed Baekhyun’s hand and started running. It was clumsy at first but soon enough they found a united rhythm. Jumping over bigger parts and navigating around smaller ones seemed easy. As a result, exiting the shop wasn’t as much of a struggle as getting away from the gang chasing them.

The couple kept manoeuvring the small streets with Baekhyun completely relying on Chanyeol’s instinct to lead them. They kept running and turning, turning and running. It felt like it had already lasted for hours.

Next thing they knew they were met with a dead end. They didn’t know if the chasers were still there but Chanyeol decided not to risk it. Instructing Baekhyun’s steps with expertise, Chanyeol got the other to climb a rock wall and get on the roof of the nearby building. The smuggler soon followed but instead of running both decided to wait a bit. Only Baekhyun dared to break the silence.

“Do you think they’re gone?”

The answer came from Taeyong who was standing on a roof a few houses away.

“You wish!”

The race was suddenly reignited. Chanyeol caught Baekhyun’s hand without much thinking and the two started to run again, this time replacing the turning with jumping. Baekhyun had never thought he would be running for his life like this but having Chanyeol next to him made it a whole lot better.

It was clear that such jumping from building to building would never end. Unless they would run out of buildings to jump on, that is. However, they wouldn’t be able to test that as their luck quickly ran out. Right as Baekhyun positioned his leg for the next jump, the edge of the roof caved in. Of course, holding hands with Chanyeol meant that he dragged the other down with him.

The fall was quite rough but Baekhyun stubbornly tried to get up right away. His vision was a bit blurry but he knew he needed to find Chanyeol under the rocks even if it was hard for him to move on his own. But next thing he knew he was suddenly lifted up and a familiar voice filled his ears.

“Baekhyun! Are you alright? Talk to me, Baekhyun!”

“I’m fine.”

The lack of sincerity in his own voice made the Prince laugh.

“Look at me. Can you see me?”

It took a lot of effort for Baekhyun to concentrate and it was giving him a headache but soon enough Chanyeol’s ridiculously handsome face came into his view.

“Yeollie.”

“Ok, I don’t know if it’s a new nickname or you can’t even pronounce my name right.”

“Nickname. My Yeollie.”

Both shared a laugh before Baekhyun felt Chanyeol standing up with the Prince still in his hold.

“They probably are outside waiting for us.”

“It’s ok.”

“I don’t want you to get killed for my shit.”

“If that’s what destiny has in store for me, then so be it.”

With that Chanyeol finally pushed the door open and stepped outside. Just as expected, the whole gang had surrounded them by now. There wasn’t a way out. Not from this one. All he could hope for was talking them into letting Baekhyun go. However, before he could even utter a word, a familiar buzzing of speeder bikes resonated into the distance.

All of them just stared at the moving dots as the sound came closer and closer. Chanyeol knew who was coming but yet he wasn’t really sure if it was a good thing or not.

In a minute they arrived – four guys on speed bikes with regular wrenches already in their hands. Chanyeol couldn’t believe they were saving his skin. Knowing that the scene could become very unpleasant soon, Chanyeol slowly stepped back to get back inside the building. The main conversation had shifted between the two gangs anyway.

“What’s going on?”

Baekhyun’s voice was a bit faint but Chanyeol was happy the other even talked.

“Maybe this will all be settled soon and we might be lucky enough to come out of it alive.”

“Who are those guys? The ones that arrived?”

“Friends. Kind of.”

Suddenly a lot of noise started to come from outside. At first there was some shouting, then punches and screams. The couple stayed quiet, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Then a loud thud could be heard and Chanyeol guessed that someone had been knocked out. A bit more shouting followed until one of the sides was clearly making a run for it. Chanyeol guessed it meant his friends had won.

This was soon confirmed as one of the guys Baekhyun had seen earlier on the speed bike stepped inside the building with a huge smile.

“So. Park Chanyeol is back in town and this is how we find out?”

“Sorry.”

Deeming it safe, Chanyeol carried Baekhyun outside again. The guys turned out to be Chanyeol’s childhood friends. Or at least that’s how he introduced them to Baekhyun. The Prince tried to hide his disappointment when being introduced as just a friend in return.

Usually Baekhyun was good with names but it looked like the blow to the head from the fall had affected him. He knew there were four of them – Minseok, Jongin, Yixing and Jongdae – but he couldn’t remember which one was which even if his life depended on it. Although if his hunch was right, then the one doing the most talking was Minseok, the eldest member of the bunch.

“When did you return?”

“Literally two hours ago.”

“And already had a run in with Taeyong’s squad?”

“Yeah. They have the parts we need to be on our way again.”

“Not planning to stay even for a bit?”

“You know it’s not a good idea.”

“Your mom misses you though.”

This seemed to shut Chanyeol up so Minseok kept on talking.

“Fine. What parts do you need?”

“We ran into an asteroid field and bent the charge planes of the hyperdrive. Also wanted to look for some ion charges.”

“It’s not much. We can get it for you.”

“What do you want in return?”

“For you to spend some time with us. Catch up. You know – like friends usually do.”

Chanyeol knew Minseok wasn’t asking much from him. But it still felt quite awkward. They hadn’t seen or heard from each other ever since Chanyeol left. He didn’t even give a heads up to his friends that he was leaving. He knew he owed them at least an explanation. Besides, Baekhyun needed a safe place to get checked out too. So after thorough weighing of options Chanyeol decided to agree.

“Deal.”

This seemed to make the whole gang smile and Baekhyun would be lying if he said he wasn’t excited to learn more about his new boyfriend too.

Jongin kindly offered Baekhyun a seat on his speed bike but Chanyeol quickly declined, making the Prince laugh. One new thing learned about his boyfriend already – Chanyeol was jealous. Jongin was quick to explain that he hadn’t meant anything bad but Chanyeol wasn’t having any of it.

“Why don’t you let me get your friend to safety?”

“I know you, Kim Jongin.”

“What exactly do you know about me?”

“That you won’t _just_ take him to safety.”

Honestly, Baekhyun could see some signs of being a playboy in the youngest member of the gang. He wasn’t sure what made Chanyeol so cautious but then again it was Chanyeol’s friend and he probably knew better. Besides, Chanyeol had made his mind up already.

“Come on, give me your speed bike.”

“What? Why mine?”

“You’re the youngest one here. Baekhyun and I could take yours and you could ride with Minseok.”

“Chanyeol, I’m not a child. I can take care of a person too.”

Jongin approached Baekhyun quite determinedly and was about to pick the other up when Chanyeol squeezed himself between the two.

“Hands off.”

It seemed like Jongin had finally picked up on Chanyeol’s jealousy as well.

“You’re not just worried about him, huh? You’re marking your territory.”

The taller one didn’t seem pleased with the comparison.

“He’s not some territory to claim. He’s a person.”

“But a special person to you, right?”

The knowing smirk on Jongin’s face only widened when Chanyeol and Baekhyun exchanged shy looks. Then for the first time ever Chanyeol announced it.

“He’s my boyfriend and if anyone is to take care of him, it’s me.”

“I knew it! So you’ve finally landed someone, Park! And a good catch too!”

This actually made the couple blush.

“Shut up and give me your bike.”

It seemed like that was all Jongin needed to hear to give in. Baekhyun would be lying if he said he didn’t like the attention Chanyeol was giving him – carefully lifting the Prince up and carrying him towards the speed bike, helping him to get comfortable and safe between the steer and Chanyeol. As if having his back flush against his boyfriend’s chest wasn’t making Baekhyun’s heartbeat fast enough, the sudden kiss he felt on his nape and the whisper of a “hold on tight” nearly made it jump out of Baekhyun’s chest.

* * *

“And you’ve landed yourself a prince?”

The disbelief in Minseok’s voice seemed to make Chanyeol a bit irritated.

“Why wouldn’t I be able to land myself a prince?”

Baekhyun could barely hold back his laughter at the upset tone. The trio had spent the last two hours discussing everything from what happened to Chanyeol when he left to why he came back. Baekhyun was pleasantly surprised when the other had asked him if it was ok to tell Minseok everything and allowed the Prince to determine how much information was alright to share.

While they had spent time on catching up, the rest of Chanyeol’s friends had left with a promise to return with all the parts they needed to fix the ship. Luckily for Minseok, the said part of the group returned right as he was trying to come up with a good change of topic.

“Is this all?”

Everyone’s hands were full of stuff but the only thing Baekhyun recognized was the box in Jongin’s hands that Chanyeol and Baekhyun had tried to get from the NCT shop. Chanyeol seemed pleased though.

“Looks like it. How did you get all this so quickly?”

“Unlike you, we have connections.”

Jongin’s remark earned him a glare but at the same time Chanyeol knew the other was right. All those years ago Chanyeol had left without much thinking, believing that it was the best thing to do. Meeting his friends and hearing from Minseok about how Chanyeol’s family was doing may have proved otherwise. Trying to get rid of these thoughts, Chanyeol decided to get away as soon as possible.

“Do you have a bag I could borrow?”

The simple question made Minseok raise an eyebrow.

“Sure. But are you going to leave right after I give it to you?”

“Why not? We need to fix the ship so we can be on our way.”

Chanyeol was trying to play dumb but this only earned him a scoff from everyone around him. Baekhyun’s scoff was the most surprising one though.

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

The taller one thought it was the end of discussion but the Prince wasn’t going to let someone shut his mouth so easily. Even if that someone was his boyfriend.

“These guys not only took the time out of their day to find us and save our lives but also went out to fetch everything we needed. The least you could do is show some respect.”

The unexpected scolding left Chanyeol speechless and Minseok jumped in to use it to his advantage.

“Exactly! I know we are old friends but it wouldn’t hurt if you put in at least a little bit of effort to show some gratefulness.”

With the words setting in, the thoughts of regret only strengthened. Running away had always been Chanyeol’s plan. No matter when or from what. Nonetheless, hurting those close to him was never part of that plan and so he decided to give in.

“Ok, I’m sorry. How can I show how thankful we are for your efforts?”

This made Minseok smile.

“Let’s go camping. Like the good old times.”

That was a bit too much and Chanyeol was about to protest when he caught a glimpse of Baekhyun. The Prince seemed interested in the suggestion and it made sense once Sehun’s words about Baekhyun’s lack of socialization came to Chanyeol’s mind. This was a great opportunity to show him what Tatooine was like.

“Ok.”

“Wait, what?”

“Let’s do it!”

* * *

Baekhyun wasn’t really sure what camping meant but he trusted Chanyeol and that was enough to let him feel at ease. Also, Sehun had contacted the couple via Chanyeol’s communicator to make sure that they were alright. Everything felt pleasantly peaceful and that was exactly what the Prince had longed for.

Preparation took a small while with the guys getting Chanyeol’s old speed bike back to life and preparing sleeping bags, snacks and everything else they might need. Of course, Chanyeol received a lot of questions from those who had been absent and hadn’t heard the story about his recent and not so recent whereabouts. Thankfully, Minseok took it upon himself to answer the very tricky questions, even managing to successfully hide the fact that Baekhyun was actually royalty. No, today he was just Chanyeol’s boyfriend.

Having stopped by some of their old spots that Chanyeol’s friends had deemed as necessary to be seen by Baekhyun, the group finally arrived at their camping destination. On the one hand, it was clearly a comfortable camping site like any other out there. On the other hand, it clearly hadn’t been used for a while since the campfire spot was almost completely buried in sand. This puzzled Chanyeol a bit.

“How long has it been since you last were here?”

The question gave Jongin a bitter smile.

“Since the last time you were here with us. It didn’t seem right to come here if all of us weren’t present.”

That was the last sad remark voiced that night. The rest of the evening passed by with the group chatting about only happy times and memories, as well as the adventures and crazy stunts they used to pull. For Baekhyun, this truly shed a new light on Chanyeol. He knew his boyfriend was special but all the stories about how he had helped his friends or even saved their lives only boosted his image in Baekhyun’s eyes.

The atmosphere was almost family like. Although Chanyeol protested it at first, they ended the night by singing some songs traditionally sung around campfires. Despite not really knowing the words, Baekhyun tried his best to join in, making Chanyeol smile.

The night was warm and pleasant too, perfect for sleeping outdoors. As the other guys slowly started to settle down, Chanyeol prepared a place for him and Baekhyun to sleep. He had taken it a bit further away from the rest of the group, making the Prince wonder if Chanyeol still didn’t want to spend much time with his friends. Already sleeping in Chanyeol’s arms, Baekhyun soon learned the truth.

“Here you can see the stars better.”

“You really like stargazing, huh?”

“Yeah. Well, that and Jongin snores.”

Baekhyun hid his face against Chanyeol’s chest, trying to somehow hold back the laughter. Once the Prince had regained some control over his breathing, Chanyeol continued.

“Stars have really been a fascination of mine ever since I was a kid. The starry sky is the most beautiful sight here. Well, used to be.”

Chanyeol’s gaze fixed on Baekhyun’s face, making the latter blush and earning Chanyeol a kiss. It was slow and welcoming, leaving both wondering about how their lips fit each other’s so perfectly. As the couple broke the kiss, Baekhyun’s gaze returned to the dark sky, noticing a particularly bright spot.

“Is that the Great Dog?”

“Yeah. You’re a quick learner.”

“Actually, stargazing is something I’ve enjoyed for ages. It’s the only sight I could admire from the palace without being disturbed.”

Chanyeol seemed surprised.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Because it really is just stargazing for me. I’ve never learned about the stars as much as you have. I don’t know their names or interesting facts about them. I just know that they are beautiful.”

“Don’t worry, you can continue to stargaze and leave the fact part to me.”

Baekhyun liked the sound of that. Then a realization hit Chanyeol.

“Wait. Is that why the ship is named Inlustris?”

His realization made the Prince smile.

“Yeah, starlight. Naboo royalties are allowed to name their own ships and when I saw its shining hull, it reminded me of starlight. So I just went with it.”

“Genius.”

Another round of kisses followed before the couple finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The morning came too soon for Baekhyun’s liking but, considering how much Chanyeol didn’t really want to be on Tatooine for too long, they had to get moving. Minseok and the others helped them to not only get the necessary parts back to the ship but also with the repairs to speed up the process.

Deeming everything ready and working, Chanyeol decided to say a proper goodbye this time to everyone in his old friend group. As Minseok was the last to receive a hug, the older one became all father-like again.

“Remember what I told you. Someone else wants to see you too.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Ok. It’s your call anyway.”

All too soon, the goodbyes were done and the guys got on their speed bikes to finally depart. It left Baekhyun feeling a bit odd. He had loved being together with Chanyeol’s friends so seeing them vanish into the distance almost hurt a bit. Trying not to dwell on it too much, Baekhyun turned around to head back into the ship, beckoning Chanyeol to follow.

“Are we ready to go?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

However, as soon as Chanyeol sat down in the pilot’s seat, he knew he couldn’t leave just yet. If he didn’t follow his heart, it would haunt him forever.

“Listen, there’s one more thing I need to do.”

That actually seemed to excite Baekhyun as he jumped up from the co-pilot’s seat.

“Great! Where are we going?”

“Actually, there’s something I need to do alone.”

Just like that the excitement was replaced with visible confusion and sadness.

“Oh, ok. Sure.”

To ease the other’s disappointment, Chanyeol walked up to Baekhyun, lifting his chin with a finger to make his boyfriend make eye contact.

“Hey, it’s nothing serious. It’s just something regarding my family.”

“It’s ok. Really.”

“I would take you with me but I don’t even know how they’ll react to seeing me. So I’m not going to risk it and let my beautiful starlight get hurt, ok?”

“Ok. I’ll just wait for you here.”

Chanyeol placed a quick peck on Baekhyun’s lips and headed towards the door.

“I won’t be long.”

“You’d better not.”

* * *

The familiar road gave Chanyeol the tingles as it had been years since the last time he had taken it. The sunlit neighbourhood seemed as calm as he remembered it with only a few kids running around the empty roads. It wasn’t much back then and it sure wasn’t much now.

He could still name each street and tell which house belonged to which family. At least Chanyeol hoped that no one had moved. But knowing the sad financial situation of most living on Tatooine, that was highly unlikely.

As the corner of his childhood home came to his view, Chanyeol realized that walking in through the front door could be a bad idea. There was only one person he wanted to see, not the whole crew. Not yet at least.

Turning into an alleyway, Chanyeol tried to come up with a way to get the only person who mattered to talk to him. If they were in the house, Chanyeol was screwed. He couldn’t just wait around for hours.

_Maybe I could try to sneak in?_

He didn’t get to think too much about it as luck seemed to have decided to be on his side again. She was right there – hanging out some freshly washed laundry in the backyard. It felt quite emotional and Chanyeol almost stopped in his tracks. His heart became heavy and anxiety creeped up. He started to wonder if this was a good idea after all.

Seeing her take out the final sheet from the laundry basket, Chanyeol realized that the opportunity could soon be lost. She would hang the sheet on the rope and leave without Chanyeol getting to say anything to her. As the woman reached down to pick up the basket, Chanyeol panicked.

“Wait!”

The woman seemed to freeze in her steps just like Chanyeol had. Turning around and actually seeing Chanyeol’s face, the woman burst into tears.

“Chanyeol? Is that really you?”

That was all the motivation he needed to quickly leap over the fence and run to pull her into the tightest hug possible.

“Chanyeol?”

“Mom.”

“My Chanyeol! Thank God you’re alive!”

“I’m sorry for leaving like that and not contacting you sooner.”

That’s when the atmosphere changed and before Chanyeol even knew it, his mom had gotten hold of a slipper and started hitting his hand and back, scolding him.

“How dare you! Do you know how worried I was? You don’t leave your mother worrying about her son’s life like that!”

“I’m sorry! I really am!”

The scolding didn’t last long though as his mom soon pulled him into another hug.

“Park Chanyeol, I swear you will be the death of me. I’d hoped you were alive but now I’m so close to killing you myself.”

The fake threat made Chanyeol laugh.

“I know, I know. But you also know why I left.”

“Yes, I heard you had a problem with those thugs. What kind of people are you involved with, Chanyeol?”

“Well, clearly not them since they want me dead.”

“What did you do exactly? Is there anything we can help you with?”

“No, it’s my problem to solve. Good news is that I might finally solve it soon and then I’ll be able to visit you often.”

“You better solve it! Do you know how mad your father is? You’ll get scolded so much!”

“I know. That’s why I wanted to see only you. A mother’s love is unconditional, right?”

This actually seemed to sadden her.

“Chanyeol, dad loves you. But what you did was terrible. You left when we needed you and then those thugs dared to show up and demand stuff from us.”

“They came here?”

“Yes, they tried to get us to settle your problem. Don’t worry, we got rid of them. Dad and your brothers showed them the door and not in the nicest way. But it will take a lot for your dad to forgive you.”

“I’ll figure something out, mom. I just need a bit more time.”

“You’re leaving again?”

“Yes, there’s a friend I need to help and once that’s over all should be good.”

A moment of silence set in but finally the woman’s lips bloomed into a soft smile.

“Please, take care of yourself. And thank you for not forgetting us.”

“I would never. I love you, mom.”

“I love you too, stardust.”

The nickname came so suddenly and took Chanyeol aback. The last time his mother had called him that was around when he was six. Before either of them could say anything more, the backdoor of the house opened loudly.

“Dear? Where are you? Isn’t it taking too long?”

It was Chanyeol’s dad. Both of them knew things would only get worse if he saw Chanyeol now and so his mom blew a kiss and mouthed a “goodbye” before heading back to her husband.

“I’m right here. That last sheet put up a real fight.”

Chanyeol could hear his dad’s laughter and it hurt quite a bit to not be able to go and talk to the old guy. But there was a time for everything, even for resolving old family drama. Chanyeol knew he had to get his old shit settled before his father could forgive him. Hearing the door close, Chanyeol started to move.

He expected the way back to be the same as before – calm and peaceful, maybe a bit nostalgic. However, fate clearly had other plans in mind, as a sudden cry for help caught his attention. The voice came from an alleyway. Stopping in his tracks, Chanyeol decided to wait a bit.

“Help!”

There it was again. Chanyeol knew he couldn’t spend too much time wandering around but if someone needed help, he would try to provide it. Taking careful steps through the alley, he couldn’t help but think that something was off and this was definitely a bad idea.

The alleyway had a sharp turn to the left and it seemed like that was where the voice was coming from. The voice wasn’t particularly distressed but someone was indeed asking for help. Thinking that maybe someone needed help with a small favour instead of being in danger, Chanyeol started to stroll rather casually. A big mistake.

Having made the turn, he realized that there was no one there. No one was standing there with something heavy to lift or waiting for a kitten to climb down from somewhere. No one was being robbed or lying there bleeding. There was nothing.

When Chanyeol was about halfway in, Taeyong suddenly appeared from the other end of the alleyway. Of course, as Chanyeol threw a gaze back over his shoulder, he realized that the other end had been blocked off by Lucas and Haechan. They were slowly making his way towards him and Chanyeol didn’t really know what to do. There was no way to run and certainly no way to hide.

“Did you really think we would let you go, Park?”

The cocky tone in Taeyong’s voice somehow didn’t match the massive bruise Chanyeol had left on his face just a day ago.

“A man can dream, right?”

“And then you dare to send your friends after us?”

“Now that wasn’t my call. They just happened to be there.”

“Well, thanks to them, our thirst for your blood only increased.”

“Think about it – how will I return the debt if you kill me? Dead men can’t pay.”

“Don’t even assume you can talk yourself out of this one, Park. You’ve made too many empty promises. Now it’s time to finally pay up.”

Taeyong was walking uncomfortably close to him so Chanyeol tried to back away. That’s when both Lucas and Haechan got a tight hold on both of his shoulders.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

* * *

Chanyeol had promised to be quick. So, as the sun began to set, his delayed return worried Baekhyun. The Prince had spent the day telling Sehun everything he and Chanyeol had done while being away. But now the stories were over and Baekhyun didn’t know what to do. The fact that Chanyeol had left his communicator back at the ship didn’t seem calming either.

“Don’t worry, Master.”

“How can I not worry?”

“Maybe Chanyeol met some friends again and decided to catch up.”

“We already met his friends. It seems like more people want to hurt him than be his friend on this planet.”

A moment of silence set in. He didn’t know what hit him but suddenly Baekhyun grabbed the scarf he had used as a mask and headed out. As he was tying it, the droid desperately tried to reason with him.

“Master, where are you going?”

“I need to find him, Sehun.”

“You can’t go alone!”

They had already exited the ship and Baekhyun looked it over with a thoughtful gaze.

“Sehun, what is the probability of someone stealing this ship?”

“Depends. Do you mean something like Chanyeol’s case when he slipped in through an open door?”

“No, I mean if we lock it. What is the probability that something will happen to the ship if we leave it here completely secured?”

“Around twenty-five percent, Master.”

“That isn’t too bad, right?”

Sehun wasn’t following.

“What is your plan?”

“Secure the ship and let’s search for Chanyeol.”

“Together?”

“Yes. Now get moving and secure it.”

Sehun still had bad memories from the last time the two of them had wandered around a city without Chanyeol’s guidance. It seemed like a very bad idea but it was better than allowing Baekhyun to go alone.

“Give me five minutes, Master.”

* * *

It had taken quite a while but finally Baekhyun had found Minseok’s shop. If anyone could help them find Chanyeol, it would be his friends. Or at least so Baekhyun guessed. It was already late but the shop’s door was open and the light was still on, giving the Prince hope.

“Hello? Is anyone here?”

Baekhyun could see the guys working on a ship way at the back so he made unsure steps towards it. Finally, Minseok noticed him.

“Baekhyun! I thought you two had left? And who is this?”

Minseok looked over Sehun, guessing that it was the droid Chanyeol had mentioned. Since he didn’t want to lose a hand, he avoided actually touching him.

“This is Sehun. Sehun, this is Minseok.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Sir.”

The stiff tone was enough for Minseok to sport a knowing smirk.

“Where is Chanyeol?”

“I don’t know. We were about to leave when he said he had some family business to attend to. He promised to be quick but still hasn’t returned.”

“Family business? So he listened to me after all.”

“I just don’t understand why he couldn't take me with him.”

“Maybe because it was a bit personal?”

“Maybe. But why would he take so long?”

“They probably have a lot to discuss. I wouldn’t be too worried about it.”

This didn’t seem to calm Baekhyun down at all and Minseok knew it.

“Do you want Jongin to take you there?”

“Why him and not you?”

“Well, we have to repair this beauty right here. She needs to be done by the morning so we all need to work on it. Sadly, Jongin isn’t that good at it.”

“Hey!”

The aforementioned man surely didn’t appreciate the remark.

“What? We all know it’s true. Besides, I have another job for you.”

This seemed to catch Jongin’s interest.

“What job?”

“Could you take Baekhyun and his friend to Chanyeol’s family home?”

“Sure.”

The request seemed weird but Jongin was quite happy to get away from work.

“How are the three of us going to fit on one speed bike though?”

Baekhyun was quick to dismiss Jongin’s worries.

“My friend can ride a speed bike. Besides, we would need a spot for Chanyeol too.”

“Ok.”

Sehun sure didn’t like the idea of having to ride an unsteady device known to be prone to accidents. However, since he couldn’t go against his Master’s wishes, the trio set off.

It turned out that Chanyeol’s family house was near Minseok’s shop. Or maybe the ride was just too quick for one to notice the distance.

The neighbourhood was quite dark but Baekhyun still thought it was quite beautiful. He could imagine the different families living there and how calm their everyday lives probably were. It was something he wasn’t used to.

As Jongin stopped the speed bike next to one of the houses, Sehun soon followed. He could hear Jongin telling Baekhyun to stay behind and promising to find out anything he could. After that Baekhyun and Sehun could only observe as Jongin knocked on the door and stepped inside.

“Master, can we really trust him?”

“Yeah, he’s Chanyeol’s friend so everything will be fine.”

Silence set in as the duo waited. It took about five minutes before they saw Jongin leave the house again. This time Baekhyun could see that there was a woman by the door. He didn’t get to take a good look though as the woman noticed him too. They exchanged a bit of awkward smiles and slightly bowed their heads in a greeting. But soon after the door closed again.

“Sorry for taking so long. Chanyeol’s mom had to come up with an excuse to talk to me alone.”

“So she had something to tell you?”

“Yeah. Good news is that Chanyeol came here today and they had a lovely moment together.”

“And the bad news?”

“It lasted for maybe five minutes max. He left right after.”

“Did she say where he went?”

“He didn’t tell her anything. Just promised to settle his debt and come home soon.”

“Debt?”

Baekhyun remembered the ruckus back at the NCT shop and Chanyeol mentioning a job that had gone sideways but he wasn’t sure if that was it. However, Jongin didn’t seem to be willing to spill the beans either.

“It’s a hard topic for him. He will tell you once he’s ready.” 

“Right.”

“Anyway, maybe Chanyeol has already returned to the ship? Should we go there and see?”

“Yeah. That’s the only thing we can do now, I guess.”

Jongin got back on the speed bike and, as soon as he felt Baekhyun securely hugging him from behind, started the engine. He signalled for Sehun to go first but that soon turned out to be a bad idea as Sehun abruptly stopped the speed bike, almost making Jongin crash into it.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Sehun didn’t seem to listen though as the droid suddenly vanished, running into some alleyway. This sure worried Baekhyun who quickly followed.

“Sehun, what’s wrong? Where are you?”

That’s when Baekhyun heard it. Faint grunts and cries. He made a left turn when he found Sehun next to a badly wounded Chanyeol.

“Chanyeol!”

The said man had been beaten up quite badly but the worst injury was likely the cut on his right side beneath his ribs. The blade was still sticking out of the wound and Baekhyun was about to remove it when the droid stopped him.

“Don’t. It keeps him from bleeding out.”

Finally Jongin had joined them.

“What the fuck is up with you two- Is that Chanyeol?!”

“Yeah. Sehun, what can we do now?”

“We need to get him back to the ship. There we can scan all the injuries to see how bad it is.”

“Ok, let’s go. Jongin, help me lift him up. Be careful with the blade.”

Jongin felt dumbfounded but still obeyed everything that was asked of him. He helped Baekhyun to carry Chanyeol to Sehun’s speed bike and to get Chanyeol somewhat secured on it. Then both he and Sehun raced towards their ship. This time the distance felt even shorter.

Once there, Baekhyun had to curse at himself for being too cautious because the ship took Sehun the same time to unlock it as it had taken to secure it. But once the ship’s ramp opened up, the droid motioned for Baekhyun and Jongin to quickly get Chanyeol inside.

As soon as Chanyeol was laid on top of the medical scanner, Sehun started the machine. It slowly covered his whole body before all sorts of notifications started to pop up on the screen by the operational panel. Baekhyun didn’t understand much of it but Sehun did.

“Chanyeol has several broken bones, many ruptured underlying blood vessels. Understandably, the stab is the worst wound. The blade has impaled his liver. If we remove it, that could cause dangerous internal bleeding.”

“So what now?”

Without any explanation, Sehun approached one of the medical cabinets and produced a syringe with a silvery liquid.

“What is that?”

Sehun kept ignoring his Master so Baekhyun had to step in between him and Chanyeol.

“Tell me what you are going to do.”

“These are nanobots. Not a truly tested method but this surely could help.”

“Nanobots?”

“Yes. They will repair the damaged tissue and we’ll be able to discard the blade without endangering his life.”

“Was it that hard to tell us?”

“No, but there isn’t much time. His vitals are dropping as we speak.”

“Then what are you waiting for?! Do it!”

Sehun approached the medical scanner and tried to carefully push back Chanyeol’s shirt to make the injection right next to the wound.

“Now all we can do is wait till the nanobots finish their job.”

* * *

Chanyeol felt light as a feather. He didn’t really know where he was but everything seemed bright, almost a bit too bright. There were no distinct objects. Just a whole lot of white. Then a row of faces started to appear. The first one was Baekhyun’s, smiling at Chanyeol as sweetly as ever. Chanyeol wanted to kiss the blushed cheeks and the rosy lips. But before he could reach out, Baekhyun’s face vanished from his view.

The second one was Minseok’s and this started a row of other faces – Jongin, Jongdae, Yixing and even Kyungsoo. All of them just smiled without saying a word. But in all honesty, Chanyeol didn’t feel like speaking either. If anything, he felt grateful and he thought that the smiles of his friends showed that they felt it too.

The final row of faces seemed to be Chanyeol’s family. His relatives, then his brother and finally his parents. Immediately guilt appeared and Chanyeol expected his father to scold him just like his mom had warned but nothing followed. His dad kept on smiling just as lovingly as his mom did. Next thing he knew Chanyeol felt weirdly free.

The feeling didn’t last though as suddenly the white around him started to break apart. The faces were gone and he could hear some screaming. He couldn’t make out who it belonged to but he was ready to punch whoever had disturbed him.

Then Chanyeol opened his eyes to find himself lying on a table. It took him a few seconds to realize that it was a medical scanner. Having had a good look around, Chanyeol realized he was in the medical part of Inlustris. At first he was confused but then the memories of the encounter with Taeyong and his friends came back.

The medical scanner started to beep, warning about the patient’s rising blood pressure. In no time Sehun was by Chanyeol’s side to check on him, relieved to see that the human was awake.

“Don’t move around too much. The nanobots haven’t finished mending your tissues yet.”

“Nanobots? What?”

“Doesn’t matter. Just rest.”

“Baekhyun? Where is Baekhyun?”

Chanyeol started to thrash around, trying to find his boyfriend. This prompted Sehun to pin him down to stop him from moving.

“Master is resting. I’ll get him if you promise to stay still.”

“Promise.”

Sehun carefully let go of the other, carefully observing whether or not Chanyeol would keep his promise. Seeing that he had indeed calmed down, the droid left to call for his Master.

In less than a minute Baekhyun was by Chanyeol’s side, crying and kissing his boyfriend’s face all over.

“Chanyeol, my Yeollie!”

“My Baekhyunnie.”

“I thought I had lost you.”

“I guess for a minute there you did.”

Finally, Baekhyun captured Chanyeol’s lips for a proper kiss. Sehun didn’t seem too fond of that as the droid started to explain to the injured one what was going on.

“You were close to death when we found you. Bruised, broken bones and a stab wound that reached your liver. That’s why I decided to give you nanobots.”

This seemed to confuse Chanyeol quite a bit.

“But aren’t nanotechnologies too dangerous?”

“Well, there are certain risks but you didn’t seem likely to develop any of them.”

“So they’re inside me, fixing everything there is to fix?”

“Yes. The system shows me that they’ll be done in about two hours. Then I’ll extract them.”

“Alright.”

With that a small pause set in before Baekhyun leaned in for another kiss, which Chanyeol gladly accepted. Sehun didn’t really know what to do with this.

“Right. Well, I’ll just leave you to it. But remember – no moving around!”

The couple seemed to ignore him so the droid left, hoping for the best. Finally breaking the kiss to catch some air, Baekhyun found a chair to push next to the scanner so he could be beside Chanyeol. The latter had expected the next two hours to be filled with lots of sweet nothings but Baekhyun’s serious gaze was saying otherwise.

“So… Are you going to finally tell me what this debt is about?”

That was the last thing Chanyeol wanted to do but this also seemed like a good opportunity to have this conversation. Especially now that it was clear that his past was still haunting him.

“I was an immature and stupid teen who kept looking for trouble. Minseok and the rest of us were frequenting bars and gambling spots, selling stolen goods and all sorts of ridiculous shit. Unfortunately, I was dumb enough to accept a deal that spelled disaster right from the start.”

Baekhyun was all ears, taking Chanyeol’s hand into his.

“Rumours went around that some huge crime lord had stopped by for parts and I got a ridiculous offer – a huge sum of money in return for stealing his ship.”

“Stealing a crime lord’s ship?”

“Yes, pretty insane, huh? Well, I couldn’t do it alone but Minseok was smart enough to refuse. He also talked all of our friends out of it. So I tried to find helpers somewhere else and that’s when I found NCT.”

“You didn’t know them beforehand?”

“No. I had heard of them but they were quite new and just kids back then. Explains why they agreed right away. As you can imagine, stealing from a crime lord was never a smart idea. We were welcomed by like fifty heavily armoured guards who didn’t allow us to even look at the ship, much less get inside it. We had no other plan than the original one so we just started to run.”

“From then on you started to have backup plans?”

“Yeah, that was a tough lesson learned. Luckily, we outran them but barely. Well, most of us. Some got injured, some got killed. It wasn’t a pleasant sight. Little did we know that the worst part was yet to come.”

Chanyeol needed to take a deep breath before continuing as he still didn’t understand how this whole thing ended so insanely badly.

“It turned out that the ship had surveillance so they had captured almost everyone.”

“Almost?”

“Well, everyone excluding me. I don’t know what this sick joke of fate was but they somehow hadn’t caught me and that meant that I could avoid everything that followed.”

Another moment of silence set in. Baekhyun thought about urging Chanyeol to continue. But seeing just how hard it was for him to relive the memory, Baekhyun decided to wait patiently till his boyfriend was ready again.

“It turned out that the crime lord who owned that ship had just claimed Tatooine as his own. His reign didn’t last long but he felt like the king of the place. He also felt that those who had dared to try and steal from him disrespected him and his authority. That is why he sent his men after everyone who was captured on the surveillance. The choice was easy – pay for it in money or with your life. As you can imagine, many chose the first one but no one really had the money he was asking for. So they, in turn, came after me.”

“That’s why you decided to run?”

“Yeah. My family was pretty safe since they were friends with everyone. But the damage I had caused was too great to let me go. That’s why I decided to run away to a place where I could get the money to pay off everyone’s debts. It was impossible on Tatooine but I hoped that somewhere else I would get millions just like that. But that never happened.”

“And becoming a smuggler was the best option?”

“The best paid one for sure. Actually, I’m quite close to collecting all the money I need. I’m missing around twenty million.”

“You would get that last part from selling this ship, right?”

“Yeah, that was the plan.”

That explained a lot and, thinking about everything he had just heard, Baekhyun thought that it was a quite logical plan. Apart from one thing.

“You said that the crime lord’s reign didn’t last, right?”

“Yeah, several crime lords have fought about influence on Tatooine but this is quite the no man’s land.”

“Why hasn’t the debt vanished then?”

“Oh, he may have left the city but he would never forget someone who owes him. He regularly sends his men to collect whatever the people have saved up since his last visit. Even if he had forgotten about it, I’d still want to give the money back to those who paid it.”

Chanyeol could see the disappointment in Baekhyun’s eyes. Or so he thought since the Prince’s words that followed were anything but that.

“When we first met, I thought you were an evil thief who wanted to kidnap me and blackmail Naboo. But the more I learn about you, the more I realize that you’re a good person who just somehow ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“You’re thinking too highly of me. Maybe you’re blinded by love?”

That made Baekhyun laugh but it didn’t erase the sincerity from his gaze.

“That too. But I really do mean it, Chanyeol. You are a good person who just tries to make things right. Heck, you’re even trying to help me right my wrong.”

“Well, arranged marriage isn’t as easy to solve since it’s a bit more than that-”

“But you’re still trying and that’s what matters.”

Chanyeol had to admit that the feeling of laying all the cards on the table was actually quite nice. Especially since Baekhyun reacted so understandingly. There were no more secrets between the two. Only hope to somehow settle their lives and be happy. At least that’s what they discussed right until Sehun reappeared for the nanobot extraction.

* * *

Despite the seriousness of his injuries, Chanyeol was deemed healthy once the treatment was over. Although Baekhyun wanted to depart from the planet right away, Chanyeol tried to convince the other to stay a bit longer.

“Jongin will probably come by tomorrow to check on us. I don’t want to leave without saying that I’m alright.”

“Can’t you just call him over the communicator?”

“That would be kind of inconsiderate, no? After all the effort to find me and get us back here?”

The Prince hated to admit it but his boyfriend had a good point.

“Ok, you’re right. But we’ll leave after saying goodbye – deal?”

“Deal.”

“So what now? Let’s hit the showers and go to sleep?”

“Is that an invitation?”

Baekhyun hadn’t meant it to be one but the sudden interest from Chanyeol pleasantly surprised him.

“Would you like it to be?”

“Why not?”

Chanyeol approached Baekhyun to wrap his arms securely around the other and place a kiss on his lips. The Prince responded by wrapping his hands around Chanyeol’s neck and pulling the other closer. Although the intimacy felt really good, something also felt slightly off. So Baekhyun decided to voice his concerns.

“Something’s different.”

“What?”

“You. It was all lighthearted before but this is something different.”

Chanyeol’s serious tone followed a deep sigh.

“As you might remember, I had a near death experience today. Well, it helped me to realize two things.”

“Two things?”

“Yeah. The first thing is that I’m quite utterly, crazily, totally in love with you.”

That made Baekhyun sport the biggest smile ever.

“And the second?”

“The second thing is that I want to spend every moment I’m given with you. I don’t want to waste another minute by not being with you.”

That somehow seemed to sadden the other. However, Baekhyun would never reveal Oracle’s warning.

“Chanyeol, you know what we agreed on. I don’t think I can promise you forever so-”

“And do you remember what I said? Be it a week, a month or maybe even years. As long as I’m with you, I know I’ll be happy and I will do my best to make you happy too.”

“You already do.”

Another kiss followed but Baekhyun had to break it off sooner than he wanted as he felt tears forming in his eyes.

“Ok, let’s go to the shower.”

Only after taking Chanyeol’s hand and leading him towards the small room did Baekhyun finally realize what exactly was about to happen. This was the first time they would see each other completely naked. Seeing the other stiffen made Chanyeol rethink his words.

“Listen, if you don’t want to do it, we don’t have to-”

“No, I do. But… It’s a big step, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Baekhyun felt Chanyeol let go of his hand and pull him into a tight backhug. Chanyeol then whispered sweet nothings in his ear.

“I love you, Baekhyun. I really do.”

The Prince turned around in his boyfriend’s hold.

“I love you too.”

* * *

The showering experience turned out to be better than Baekhyun had expected. Both seemed quite scared at first but it felt rather nice when they eventually got used to each other. Baekhyun had especially missed someone washing his back and was more than happy to return the favour. It was all fun and games with bubbles and water splashes till Baekhyun caught a glimpse of Chanyeol’s right hand.

“What is that?”

“What?”

Chanyeol started to look it over to see if there was something wrong but he didn’t see anything. Next thing he knew Baekhyun had taken hold of his hand and started to look over the tattoos.

“You have tattoos?”

“Well, it looks like it.”

The other’s reaction made Chanyeol laugh but Baekhyun seemed to take it very seriously. So the taller one decided to explain each and every one of them.

“I guess you haven’t noticed them because I always wear sleeves. There’s a small one here between my fingers but it’s also hard to see. It’s sort of a nickname I got tattooed as a teen.”

Baekhyun followed each indication with his gaze.

“This one here is L-1485. It stands for the sector Tatooine is located in. I might hate the place but it’s still my home.”

When Chanyeol folded his arm to show Baekhyun his upper arm, the Prince’s eyes widened.

“This one here is a monkey because I was born in the year of the monkey and I think it brings me luck. And this big one here is a combination of two things I love – two moons to symbolize the galaxy and they sort of form a guitar. I bet you didn’t know I can play the guitar, huh?”

Chanyeol was proud and loud but Baekhyun didn’t even seem to notice. Instead, he started to repeat the Oracle’s words, kind of scaring the taller one.

“Two planets united and a monkey stuck in a circle. It’s destined. It’s fate. A perfect match.”

“Are you alright? Baekhyun?”

Baekhyun kept repeating the same words until it finally set in and he started to jump around the shower, now screaming the words and laughing.

“Baekhyun, you’re seriously worrying me.”

The seriousness on the other’s face only made the Prince laugh harder as he almost jumped into Chanyeol’s arms, kissing all over his boyfriend’s face.

“No, for real. I’m worried.”

Finally realizing how crazy he must seem, Baekhyun decided to explain.

“When we visited the Oracle, he said that I was going to meet a man who will bring big changes. He mentioned two planets united and a monkey stuck in a circle and kept saying how I needed to follow destiny.”

Chanyeol didn’t seem to follow.

“Ok, and?”

“I thought it was about Naboo uniting with the crime world or something and that I’m going to be trapped like a monkey but no! It was you! It was about you all along!”

“I’ll be trapped like a monkey?”

“No, silly. You’re my destiny.”

“Well, even I could’ve told you that.”

Deciding on letting the matter go, Baekhyun continued to pepper Chanyeol’s face with kisses. He also felt all the doubts leave him and suddenly everything seemed to make a lot more sense. It’s as if everything that had weighed him down was gone.

The couple spent that night with lots of cuddles and kisses and both of their hearts seemed very full and warm. Almost like they weren’t chased by anyone and Chanyeol hadn’t been close to death just a few hours ago.

However, this time it seemed to escalate to something more rather quickly. As their lips were locked in another kiss, Baekhyun could feel Chanyeol moving and soon the other’s body was right above his. Nothing much had happened, yet he couldn’t help but feel excited. After that Chanyeol slowly kissed a trail to Baekhyun's ear.

“So… Does your initial offer still stand?”

It was just a whisper but it drove Baekhyun’s mind wild.

“Yeah. I love you.”

“Good. I love you too.”

* * *

The next morning Baekhyun woke up feeling warm and satisfied. It was something new but surely not unwelcomed. His mind also struggled to grasp that he indeed had woken up naked next to someone else naked. It seemed crazy but again – not unwelcomed. Especially when that someone was Chanyeol.

Baekhyun moved a bit to look at his boyfriend’s adorable sleepy face only to be pulled close and welcomed with a huge smile.

“Good morning, Baekhyunnie.”

“Good morning, Chanyeollie.”

Of course, this was followed with a sweet kiss.

“How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?”

“Nope, I’m all good.”

“Are you sure?”

“Definitely! Why would I hurt when you were so adorably gentle?”

The praise made Chanyeol’s smile even wider.

“You never know.”

“You have nothing to worry about. Last night was perfect.”

“Mmm, agreed.”

Chanyeol didn’t miss the opportunity to initiate another kiss, leaving Baekhyun breathless.

“I love you, Chanyeol. And thank you for being my first.”

“Thank you for being my first too.”

The shock on Baekhyun’s face almost made Chanyeol burst out laughing.

“Sorry, I should’ve told you before.”

“No, no, it’s ok. I mean… Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“Is this why you were so hesitant about it?”

“Probably. But I still stand by my words that it should be between two people who love each other.”

Somehow it felt like Baekhyun was falling for Chanyeol more and more with every new discovery.

“You’re amazing, Yeollie.”

“Not as amazing as you.”

The sweet nothings would’ve probably continued if not for the sudden automated announcements about shield damages.

“What is that?”

“Probably some system error.”

“But it clearly indicates that we’re under attack!”

“And we clearly are parked on a remote area on a desert island.”

While Chanyeol was trying to brush it off, Sehun suddenly burst through the door.

“They’re here! Crimson Dawn is here!”

“What?”

“They are outside! Shooting at the ship as we speak!”

That was enough to make both Baekhyun and Chanyeol get out of bed, dress quickly and head to the cockpit. Now Baekhyun could feel that running wasn’t exactly comfortable after last night’s events but he still tried to keep up.

The dashboard was flashing all sorts of colours, indicating damage after damage. This made no sense to Baekhyun.

“What are they doing? Have they parked beside us and are having a blaster party?”

With a few presses of buttons Chanyeol pulled up the view from the ship’s rear. The image on the screen showed a group of about ten men standing at the back and blasting away. Right in the middle of the group was Choi Seunghyun himself.

“Nope, they are literally standing there, shooting at the ship.”

“This makes no sense. How are they causing this much damage?”

“Looks like their blasters have been modified. If this is what they do to a huge chunk of thick metal, I don’t want to know what it does to someone’s flesh and bones.”

Right as Chanyeol finished his last word, the dashboard indicated damage to the main engine.

“Great.”

“That doesn’t sound like a good great.”

“Because it’s not. They took out the engine so we can’t get away.”

“Isn’t it guarded by the automatic shield?”

“Yeah but since the shield is so damaged, the automatic system has concentrated on the main systems.”

“And the engine is not one of them?!”

“I guess not.”

The trio kept staring at the image on the screen until another signal appeared, one Baekhyun hadn’t seen before.

“What is that?”

Chanyeol seemed equally confused.

“Looks like they want to talk to us. Do we care to listen though?”

“We don’t really have a choice.”

With that Chanyeol pressed one of the intercom buttons, allowing an incoming transmission. Soon after a rather cold voice filled the cockpit.

“You really thought you could outrun us, Prince of Naboo? Coruscant, Ithor and now Tatooine. We’ve been looking for you everywhere. But despite the major inconvenience, we would like to make you an offer. Come out and follow us of your own volition and we will keep your friends alive. Or else.”

As if the situation wasn’t bad enough, suddenly the attacker group spread out, revealing three battle droids ready for attack.

“Chanyeol, how bad is it?”

“Very bad. We have war droids coming after a ship that can barely hold up in a simple fight for a parking spot. But don’t worry, we won’t give up without a fight.”

“How can we not give up if we can’t even win a parking spot?”

Suddenly Choi’s voice on the speaker returned.

“We will give you a minute to decide. If by the end of this minute you won’t come out, the battle droids will cut open that tin can of yours and drag you out. Hopefully, alive.”

Chanyeol was frantically trying to come up with a plan but Baekhyun was almost certain there was none. They couldn’t run away and they couldn’t fight back. They were in a trap and if surrendering himself meant that Chanyeol and Sehun would be safe, Baekhyun thought it was worth it.

“Sehun, what are the chances if we fight back?”

“About a ninety-three percent chance of certain death, Master.”

The question alone seemed to anger Chanyeol.

“You can’t possibly consider agreeing to go with them.”

“It doesn’t seem like we have any other choice, do we?”

“You really think they will let us live if you go?”

The cold voice made a return once more as the countdown neared its end.

“So what is your choice?”

Now the battle droids were activated, ready to fire the cannons right at Inslutris’ entrance. Baekhyun gazed at Chanyeol once more before suddenly approaching him for a quick kiss.

“I’m sorry but I’ll do everything in my power to keep you alive.”

With that Baekhyun ran towards the exit.

“Baekhyun, no!”

Chanyeol tried to run as if his life depended on it but was too late. By the time he got to the ramp, Baekhyun had already opened it and headed out to face Choi and his men.

“So you’ve made the smart choice, Prince.”

“Baekhyun, don’t do this!”

Baekhyun threw a glance over his shoulder but he couldn’t really look at Chanyeol. That’s why he chose to address Choi instead.

“If I go with you, Inlustris and everyone on board stays safe, right? You won’t hurt them.”

“Correct.”

“Then I’ll go with you. But first get rid of those droids.”

“Very well.”

With just a press of a button the battle droids headed to a shuttle ship parked nearby.

“I’ve done my part, Prince. Follow me before I change my mind.”

“No!”

Baekhyun threw another glance at Chanyeol. The latter seemed utterly defeated but there was nothing else Baekhyun could do to keep him safe.

“I’m sorry.”

With that the Prince started to walk towards Choi and his men. The sight made Chanyeol completely break down, falling onto his knees on the ramp and letting tears stream down his face. It wasn’t a sight one would want to show to his enemy but losing Baekhyun was too painful.

Seunghyun led Baekhyun towards the same shuttle that the droids had boarded. Right as the Prince walked into the shuttle ship, Choi contacted the guards still surrounding Inlustris.

“Finish them.”

This sent Baekhyun into a frenzy.

“But you said you wouldn’t hurt them!”

“That’s right. I won’t hurt them. Even the droids won’t hurt them. But my men will.”

All sorts of thoughts ran through Baekhyun’s mind, from having a breakdown right then and there to scratching the man’s eyes out. However, he knew all too well that none of it would help Chanyeol and Sehun so Baekhyun ended up simply praying for their safety.

* * *

Seeing the shuttle ship leave and Choi’s men approach him, Chanyeol knew that the crime lord had played them. It almost seemed funny to him and maybe he even had an idea to let them do whatever they wished for. But Sehun quickly pulled the man inside and closed the ramp.

“Enough sobbing. We need to make it out alive.”

The droid offered Chanyeol a blaster but the latter seemed to be rather hesitant in accepting it. Until Sehun mentioned his Master.

“We need to get out and save Baekhyun.”

Finally Chanyeol accepted the gun and took a deep breath before the droid opened the ramp again. It seemed like Choi’s guards hadn’t really anticipated it or just hadn’t managed to come up with a good plan. Right as the ramp hit the ground, they were just standing there awkwardly, making it an easy target practice for Sehun.

As the situation finally hit them, some of the guards tried to run and hide behind the empty wooden boxes Minseok’s gang had left behind. Speaking of the gang, it seemed like Jongin had found the best time to come and check up on Chanyeol as he soon joined the exchange of blaster bolts. This meant that Choi’s men were stuck between two enemy lines and it definitely wasn’t in their favour.

Seeing one of the men actually jump into the box, Sehun signalled for Jongin to go and inspect it. The guard had left himself without any opportunities to fight back and so Jongin ended it with a single blaster bolt. After that silence set in as there were no more enemies left alive which made Sehun feel a bit weird.

“Chanyeol?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I made a mistake when calculating our chances of survival. This was a lot easier than I thought.”

“Don’t blame yourself just yet. We’re just lucky those battle droids are gone. They wouldn’t go down as easily as these guys. Besides, we didn’t have Jongin.”

The said man approached the ramp and his face showed nothing but utter confusion and bewilderment.

“I leave you for a few hours and what do I come back to? You just love trouble, don’t you?”

“This wasn’t my trouble but ok, I’ll take the blame.”

“Why? Seriously – what was that?”

Chanyeol took a deep breath before sitting down on the ramp.

“That’s Baekhyun’s past. Sadly, it caught up to us.”

“What? Where is he?!”

“Probably on his way to Naboo to be married to Choi Seunghyun.”

“Crimson Dawn?!”

“Yup, the one and only.”

Sehun surely didn’t appreciate Chanyeol giving up. He had thought that the smuggler was braver than that, especially after all those promises to keep his Master safe.

“So what are we going to do?”

“It’s over, Sehun. There’s nothing we can do.”

“But… You promised. Do promises mean nothing to humans?”

“The ship is done. What am I supposed to do? Use my wings?”

Jongin didn’t really understand the problem.

“Come to the shop and we’ll hook you up with something.”

This earned him a confused stare from Chanyeol.

“The droid’s right. If you truly love Baekhyun, you’ll go and get him. Even if it means using damn wings.”

* * *

Eventually Jongin succeeded in getting Chanyeol and Sehun to go to Minseok’s shop with him. Minseok was happy to see that Chanyeol was doing well since Jongin’s story had made it seem like Chanyeol was almost a goner. However, if everything seemed somewhat fine with Chanyeol physically, something seemed definitely wrong with him mentally. Usually Chanyeol would be loud and cocky, yet now he just sat in a corner with nothing but desperation written all over his face. Only after Jongin told Minseok what had happened did the latter finally understand.

“Ok, that makes sense.”

“How does it make sense?! The love of his life is kidnapped but he’s being completely useless.”

“That’s the main part – love of his life. Judging by his reaction, it wasn’t a fair fight, huh?”

“Sehun said that Baekhyun went voluntarily.”

“What?!”

“It was either Baekhyun leaving with Crimson Dawn or getting killed.”

“Then that definitely clears things up. If Baekhyun really left so easily, Chanyeol might feel quite betrayed.”

“Betrayed enough not to save Baekhyun?”

“I don’t know.”

In the meantime, Sehun was trying to talk some sense into Chanyeol. Although the chances of a droid convincing a human seemed quite low, he still wanted to at least try.

“We were at a great disadvantage.”

“We still could’ve fought back.”

“Weren’t you the one who kept saying that battle droids would be the end of us?”

“I said they wouldn’t go down as easily as those guards! I never said it was impossible though!”

“You said we wouldn’t even win a fight for-”

“A parking spot – yes, yes, yes. I said that and Baekhyun ran out of the ship. Sure, blame it all on me.”

“I’m not trying to blame anyone. I’m trying to get you back on your feet so we can go after Master.”

“Master made his own choice. He left.”

Sehun was about to fight back but a sudden incoming transmission surprised him.

“I’m receiving an incoming recording. It’s from Baekhyun.”

“Recording? Well, play it!”

Usually Chanyeol would be freaked out by seeing a meat droid’s human eyes change to reveal optical sensors and play the incoming video but it had no importance now. If Baekhyun somehow had managed to record a message, Chanyeol was more than happy to listen. Suddenly a small hologram of Baekhyun’s face showed up right in front of Chanyeol.

“I stole a video intercom and sneaked into the toilet so I don’t have much time. But I just needed to thank you, Chanyeol. Thank you for showing me what it’s like to live an exciting life and… More than anything, thank you for showing me how to love and be loved. I’ll never forget you. Please, take good care of Sehun. I’ll always love you, Park Chanyeol. Goodbye.”

Baekhyun’s tiny image seemed to choke up on the last word as tears started to flow down his cheeks. Chanyeol couldn’t let go of the other, even as the video ended.

“Play it again!”

The droid didn’t obey.

“Sehun, play it again!”

No response followed, making Chanyeol finally look at him. The droid had completely frozen in place and smoke was rising from the back of its neck.

“Jongin! Come here!”

While Jongin may not have been that good with repairing ships, droids were certainly his passion. Just having a little glance was enough for him to know what was wrong.

“Did he receive any data?”

“Yeah, a video recording.”

“Looks like a little virus came with it. It fried his core processor.”

“Can you fix him?”

“Of course, I can fix him. But I’ll need time. No one here has parts for human replica droids just lying around here.”

“I’ve seen you pull off bigger miracles before!”

“Well, I could try to just replace the burnt parts of the old processor but I don’t want to make any promises.”

“Do it! Did Minseok say how long it will take to repair Inlustris?”

“His very optimistic scenario was to get it done by tomorrow evening.”

“Could you fix Sehun by then as well?”

The sudden determination in Chanyeol’s voice surprised Jongin.

“So you’ve finally decided to go after him?”

“He loves me, Jongin.”

Jongin didn’t know exactly what Baekhyun had said in the video but he sure was happy to see the old Chanyeol back.

“Ok, help me move Sehun to the workroom. Then go help Minseok and the others. If you want to get the ship done sooner, you might as well help.”

* * *

It felt quite weird for Baekhyun to be back on Naboo. It hadn’t been that long yet it felt completely different. The colours seemed brighter, nature more beautiful and the people in the streets more emotional. But after a small while Baekhyun realized that he was the one who had changed, not the planet. Chanyeol had taught him to see more details, more colours and overall a bigger picture.

His thoughts were with Chanyeol while Choi and his guards escorted him all the way back to the palace. They had been so close to pure happiness but now it seemed like it wasn’t destined after all. Baekhyun’s trust in the Oracle was also kind of shaken since there was no way Chanyeol could change anything about the situation. Destiny had taken its course and Baekhyun could only follow it.

But then again Chanyeol had brought big changes to Baekhyun’s personality. So the Prince started to wonder if maybe he’d been selfish, trying to find something to get him out of this arranged marriage misery. Maybe he should’ve appreciated what was given to him, including the short time with Chanyeol.

The welcome at the Palace was rather cold. Choi’s men didn’t back away for even a minute and Baekhyun guessed that they would follow him everywhere from now on. As the group entered the King’s reception hall, his father’s death glare quickly let Baekhyun know that this wasn’t going to be a nice conversation. No, instead the old man got up from his throne and walked straight towards Baekhyun before raising his hand and slapping the Prince.

“How dare you? You put the lives of all our people in danger and for what? To run around with some lowlife smuggler?”

Baekhyun wanted to argue back but he also knew he had to be careful with his words.

“I wanted to find an alternative to save our planet.”

“Save it? From what? The only one putting it in danger is yourself!”

“If the Crimson Dawn-”

“The Crimson Dawn will bring nothing but prosperity! Something the bureaucrats at the Senate are too blind to see!”

The King’s voice was so inspired that Baekhyun gave up on trying to convince him.

“When is the date?”

“Thanks to your little stunt, Sir Choi wants to have the wedding as soon possible. We still haven’t received an answer but we plan to hold it tomorrow.”

“Wouldn’t that be too suspicious? Won’t the people realize something is up?”

“No, we’ll inform them that you were away with Sir Choi and you two fell in love during your trip. So in love that you don’t want to wait any longer.”

Baekhyun could barely endure the cringe.

“So where is Choi now?”

“He had an urgent matter to attend to. But don’t worry – he will be back by tomorrow. Till then his trustworthy men will make sure you don’t try to sabotage our plans.”

A moment of silence set in. Seeing that Baekhyun had no further questions or objections, the King dismissed him, reminding the guards to keep an eye on Baekhyun.

* * *

For Baekhyun, the night was full of tossing and turning. The nightmares that he used to deal with before developing the habit of sleeping next to Chanyeol tormented him. It seemed like only having the other by his side helped him relax. But now that was gone.

Whenever he wasn’t tortured by the nightmares, Baekhyun couldn’t stop wondering about what actually happened to Chanyeol and Sehun. The stolen intercom indicated that his message had been delivered yet no answer followed. Baekhyun was kind of regretting getting rid of the device but he knew he couldn’t bring it inside the palace.

Getting up from the bed, Baekhyun approached the window to have a look at the upcoming sunrise. The sun wasn’t up yet but the bright star still clearly visible in the morning sky puzzled Baekhyun. The starlight it emitted seemed to match that of Sirius.

_But is Sirius the morning star? Ah, I should’ve asked Chanyeol._

Even his usual distraction was now connected to Chanyeol. Baekhyun didn’t know if it would ever become easier to focus on something else. Chanyeol was still all around him – in his mind, heart and even still lingering on his skin. It was crazy to think that just a day ago Baekhyun was lying in Chanyeol’s arms. Now only a day later they were lightyears apart.

Although unsure of his boyfriend’s fate, Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol was still alive. Even if he didn’t receive an answer, he knew Chanyeol was a fighter and wouldn’t give up so easily. Baekhyun kept gazing at the morning star as if it would have all the answers before accepting defeat.

“I love you, Chanyeol.”

With that Baekhyun walked away from the window and got back into the bed. It wouldn’t be long till someone would come and fetch him to start the wedding preparations.

He didn’t have to wait long, seeing as the head servant of the palace soon entered his room. Junmyeon had always been fond of Baekhyun, having seen the Prince grow up before his eyes. Maybe that was also the reason why Baekhyun felt so fond of him in return, almost considering Junmyeon as a father figure.

“Rise and shine, my Prince.”

“Today is the day, huh?”

“You shouldn’t be so sure just yet.”

“Why? Is there any hope?”

“Yesterday Choi left to deal with something and we still haven’t heard from him.”

“He might show up any moment though?”

“Or he might not show up at all. Try to think positive, boy!”

By the end of the day Junmyeon turned out to be right. Around noon the palace was notified that Choi was still caught up in some urgent agreement. However, the notice also claimed that the wedding would definitely take place the next day. In fact, Choi tried to be so convincing as to demand the preparations to be started before his arrival. That meant Baekhyun had to spend another night filled with nightmares and thoughts of Chanyeol.

The next morning started early though. This time Junmyeon was followed by several maids and servants, all there to make sure Baekhyun would look his best. On Naboo, even arranged marriages had to be beautiful.

* * *

Chanyeol had no idea how to pull off the plan he had suddenly come up with whilst repairing Inlustris. It was pretty crazy but if it succeeded – both he and Baekhyun would be free. All he could do was hope that it wasn’t too late.

It seemed like the whole planet of Naboo was caught up in the royal wedding. At least that’s the only reason Chanyeol could think of as to why he managed to arrive and land in a safe docking bay without any issues. In fact, it seemed like no living being was out on the streets. It felt weird but this wasn’t the most important of his worries.

The fact that the population was busy didn’t mean that the palace’s security would also be at ease. Having memorized the plan of the palace, Chanyeol quickly approached the wine cellar, the least secured part of the palace. Or so he had been told.

Seeing the tightly secured doors made him question the information. Then, suddenly, Chanyeol noticed a small door reminiscent of a dog door. This one was bigger than a regular dog door though, which meant that the creature it was meant for was actually quite a nasty one.

_Cause why would crime lords like poodles, right?_

Carefully pushing the small door open, Chanyeol didn’t see or hear anything that could signal danger. His gut was telling him that it was a very bad idea. However, the lack of time and the fear that he was already too late to save Baekhyun kept him moving.

Barely managing to get through the small door, Chanyeol crawled inside the wine cellar. There was nothing unusual about it. It was dark and cold, and the air was full of moisture. Like any other wine cellar, this one too had huge shelves of bottles and massive barrels by every wall, creating a small passageway to walk through.

He was about to run towards the door that connected the wine cellar with the rest of the palace before noticing something sleeping right by the door. It was hard to make out what it was due to the darkness but Chanyeol had to know what he was dealing with.

Slowly and quietly crawling between the barrels, Chanyeol tried to get close enough to see. Then the realization hit him – the beast sleeping by the door was a Tuk’ata or so called Sith hound. Chanyeol usually liked dogs but this was something else. Siths had used the hounds as guards due to their deadliness. Triple rows of teeth, six inch claws and poisonous stingers.

Chanyeol wanted to question why a Sith’s lap dog was so casually hanging around Naboo’s royal palace. But now wasn’t the time for it. Looking around, Chanyeol tried to find something that could give him an idea for a plan.

The idea came in the form of two rocks. It wasn’t a fool proof plan but the pressure made Chanyeol motivated enough to try it. There would be one shot and one shot only. He couldn’t afford to screw it up.

_Ok, it’ll work. It has to. The first throw, a big breath, the second throw and run._

Chanyeol repeated the sequence a few more times before actually launching one of the rocks at the sleeping form. As expected, the Tuk’ata jumped from its peaceful slumber, seemingly confused as to what had attacked it. After taking a deep breath, Chanyeol threw the second rock to the other side of the wine cellar. Luckily, his plan worked as the animal quickly ran after it, trying to find the source of the noise. Now it was Chanyeol’s que to run.

His long legs allowed him to be fast as it took just four steps to get to the door. Though that fourth step turned out a bit wobbly and caused Chanyeol to accidentally kick one of the big wine barrels. That seemed to have a domino effect, as the whole row started to roll.

“Crap!”

This created quite a ruckus and made the confused Tuk’ata’s growl. It was clear that someone must’ve heard it. Quickly grabbing the doorknob, Chanyeol slipped through the door and slammed it right behind him. It was another favour from Lady Luck that no one was near enough to capture him right then and there.

Unwilling to push his luck too far, Chanyeol sneaked into the first door he saw which turned out to be some sort of closet. Hoping that no one was hiding in the dark, Chanyeol carefully cracked the door open to see if the air was clear.

As expected, the loud noise from the cellar had attracted some guards but they didn’t seem to think much of it.

“What on Naboo was that?”

“That damn mut destroyed the wine cellar!”

“What? I thought they were unusually intelligent?”

“Well, this one sure isn’t! It’s total chaos down there!”

“Should I go get someone?”

“I’m not staying here alone with that thing!”

“Oh, don’t be such a baby.”

“If it’s so safe, why don’t you stay here while I go get someone?”

“I asked first!”

“Then let's both go.”

“Fine, you big baby.”

“I’m not a baby!”

The bickering couple slowly made their way up the stairs. Chanyeol couldn’t believe how idiotic the guards in a palace could be. But since it was to his advantage he was thankful for it.

As the steps and voices quieted down, Chanyeol slowly made his way out of the closet and further down the hallways. It was to be expected that a palace seemed almost like a labyrinth with its many long halls and twists and turns. It was really confusing but Chanyeol tried to rely on his memory.

“Straight till the King’s portrait, then to the left. Straight till Baekhyun’s portrait and then to the right.”

Chanyeol kept making his way as quietly as possible. As more and more people appeared that he had to avoid, Chanyeol guessed he was slowly nearing his destination.

He got to the last turn he had to take but voices in the hallway signalled that it wasn’t safe. Carefully peeking around the corner, Chanyeol saw two maids carrying huge vases filled with white roses.

“I had thought that Master Baekhyun went on an expedition.”

“No, turns out he had been with Sir Choi this whole time! It sounded like they’ve had sort of a honeymoon.”

“But Sir Choi has such a bad reputation. He’s a criminal.”

“Yes, but you know what they say –the heart wants what it wants.”

“And what happened to the poor Sehun? He didn’t return with Master Baekhyun!”

“Rumour has it that he walked in on the couple having intercourse and Sir Choi put a bullet through his head!”

“A bullet killed a droid?”

“Well, you only have to damage something vital and that’s it. One good aim and the useless thing falls apart!”

Chanyeol couldn’t believe his ears, watching the two women enter what seemed like a wedding hall or something. As soon as the door closed, Chanyeol made a dash for the door at the end of the hallway. It should be Baekhyun’s master bedroom. Chanyeol could only hope that the other was in it and that there were no guards involved.

However, upon entering the room and closing the door behind him, Chanyeol had to conclude that the room was empty. No traces of Baekhyun or anyone else for that matter.

“Crap! Where are you, Baek?”

* * *

Only when Baekhyun was dressed in the traditional wedding robes did the reality finally hit him. He had feared this moment ever since he learned about it but now his fears only got worse. There was a man that he loved but couldn’t be with, and there was a man he feared with whom he would have to spend his life.

The crazy rumours and stories about Choi Seunghyun’s crimes and Crimson Dawn’s atrocities took over his mind, making him dizzy. The tightness of the robes suddenly seemed to make it even harder to breathe and Baekhyun couldn’t fight off the feeling of being trapped. Junmyeon noticed all of this, rushing by his Master’s side.

“Are you ok, my Prince?”

“Yeah, just… Nauseous.”

“Guards, with all due respect, you can’t expect him to stand here and wait for your Master while wearing this thick clothing.”

“We have to obey orders.”

“What? Even if it kills his groom?”

The guards exchanged looks but no one seemed to have a strong counterargument. Junmyeon used this as an opportunity to persuade them.

“It’s not like I’m asking you to take the Prince outside the palace! I’m only asking you to escort us to his room so he can lie down. It’s not that much now, is it?”

The guard Junmyeon had aimed his anger at seemed uneasy.

“Or will you explain to your Master why the Prince has died from a heat stroke?”

The yelling seemed to work as the guard finally gave in.

“Fine, let’s go back to the master bedroom.”

Baekhyun kept holding onto Junmyeon for support as the group headed back the way they had come from. They reached the door quite quickly and Junmyeon didn’t hesitate to forbid the guards from entering.

“Master needs to relax. We might need to loosen the robes and, thus, I ask you to respect the Prince’s privacy and stay right here.”

“That’s not the order.”

“Who cares about your orders when a life is at stake?”

Junmyeon opened the door but as soon as the guards tried to follow, he slammed them shut in front of their faces. Both he and Baekhyun could hear the laughter behind the door and one of the guards even dared to comment.

“It’s not like we won’t see him naked later.”

That earned him a round of laughter from the other guards.

“Fucking idiots.”

Junmyeon couldn’t believe that the King would really do this to his son. The idea of giving someone so close to him over to those foul people seemed illogical and disgusting.

“Master, shall I undo the robes?”

“No, I’m fine. Just open a window, please.”

“Of course.”

The head servant approached one of the windows but as soon as his hand reached for the handle, he noticed something wasn’t right with the curtains of the window next to it. Having opened the window, Junmyeon approached the said curtain to see what was wrong only to be met with a hiding stranger.

“What on earth? Who are you? What the hell are you doing here?”

The noise made Baekhyun curious enough to sit up and see what was going on. However, as Chanyeol came to his view, all the nausea was gone and he ran to hug the other.

“Chanyeol! My Yeollie!”

“Baekhyun, thank God.”

Chanyeol pulled Baekhyun into a tight hug, kissing all over Baekhyun’s face and ruining the wedding make-up. Junmyeon didn’t really understand what was going on but before he could question anything, the doorknob started to turn. It seemed like the guards had also heard the yelling.

“Is everything alright in there?”

Junmyeon was quick to run and shut the door again.

“Everything is fine! It’s just that… Umm, Master just vomited. Vomit is everywhere! It’s pretty bad! Don’t come in if you don’t want to be covered in it.”

That seemed enough to make the guards unwilling to enter.

“Should we call for someone? A doctor? A maid?”

“No, no, we can deal with this on our own. No worries.”

Once the interest from the other side of the door died down, Junmyeon returned to the couple who seemed quite busy with catching up on all the kisses they may have missed.

“Chanyeol, what are you doing here? You’ll get yourself killed!”

“I’m here to save you. I’m not going to let that man take you away from me.”

“Chanyeol, we can’t-”

“Why not? It didn’t seem like you were happy about this whole thing when you entered.”

“I’m not. How could I be? But there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“And what if I say I have a plan?”

Baekhyun was visibly fighting some sort of an inner dilemma and Junmyeon couldn’t believe how sincere the Prince could be even after the way life had treated him.

“Master, is this person someone you trust?”

“Yes.”

“Then why don’t you follow him?”

“But what about Naboo? No one knows what Choi could do to us if the marriage isn’t concluded.”

“That will be on your father’s conscience, Master. He shouldn’t be asking this from you in the first place.”

Chanyeol turned Baekhyun’s face so the other could see the sincerity.

“Remember the Oracle’s words? Trust your destiny. Wouldn’t you say me getting into the palace and actually finding you is a good sign?”

Baekhyun couldn’t disagree. The palace was known for having a prompt response guard unit so Chanyeol having avoided it seemed like a miracle.

“Ok, I’ll go with you. But what is the plan?”

Now Chanyeol turned to Junmyeon.

“Will you help us?”

“I’ll do whatever I can to keep the Prince safe.”

“Good. Do you know that there is a Sith hound in the wine cellar?”

“A what?!”

Both Junmyeon and Baekhyun seemed shocked.

“Well, it’s basically a very big and vicious dog. I kind of made it angry. I guess the guards should’ve gone down to calm him by now but maybe you could go and see what’s going on. If the poochie is still going wild, maybe you could accidentally let it into the palace?”

“A very vicious and angry dog running around the palace? That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

“We need something to distract the guards and that seems like a good way to do it.”

Baekhyun seemed worried though.

“Won’t he be seen on the surveillance? He’ll get executed if anyone finds out.”

“Don’t worry, the surveillance was shut off before I entered the palace. Of course, we don’t know if and when they’ll fix it but I haven’t received any news that they have.”

The Prince wanted to protest but Junmyeon knew they had no time to argue.

“Fine. What will you do while I’m gone?”

“We will wait here. Leave the room, release the dog and quickly return. The ruckus should be enough to drag away the guards by the door.”

“Alright. I can do this.”

Before the servant left the room, Baekhyun pulled Junmyeon into a tight hug as well.

“Be careful.”

“Of course, my Prince.”

With that Junmyeon left the room. The guards by the door were still exchanging nasty jokes and remarks, making the servant scoff. Now wasn’t the time to reprimand them though.

“I need to get Master Baekhyun some fresh clothes. The vomit ruined the robes. I’ll be right back.”

As Junmyeon was rushing down the hallway, he managed to yell another warning about entering the room.

“Keep the door shut or the odour will kill the flowers!”

He could only hope that the story about his Master getting sick would be nasty enough to keep the guards out. Since he knew the palace like his left hand, it took Junmyeon no time to get to the wine cellar. He truly hadn’t heard about any beasts being allowed to live there but the King had been making all sorts of weird decisions lately.

Surprisingly, there was no one by the door. However, there was some loud and crazy noise coming from the other side of the door. Peeking inside, Junmyeon saw about five guards struggling to fight off what seemed like a wolf-shark hybrid.

“What in the world?”

He quickly shut the door again. Releasing such a beast on the palace could be quite devastating. But he had promised to keep his Master safe and the only way to do that would be to get Baekhyun away from the palace. They needed a distraction. There was no other way.

Having finally convinced himself, Junmyeon opened the door again, this time leaving it open and running away. Now the guards’ screams filled the hallways, alarming everyone in the palace.

Just as agreed, Junmyeon quickly returned to Baekhyun’s room. He expected the guards to ask about why he had returned empty handed but he guessed that his acting was just so damn good.

“Quickly! There is a beast in the cellars! If it continues to roam around, there will be no wedding!”

That coupled with the screams was all the guards needed to hear to rush off. As soon as the coast was clear, Junmyeon entered the room.

“Done. The guards are gone. Now what?”

It seemed like Baekhyun and Chanyeol had figured that the traditional wedding robes would hinder their movements so Chanyeol helped Baekhyun remove them. Whilst Baekhyun ran to the closet to find something more comfortable, Chanyeol packed up the wedding robes and continued with his plan.

“Now we run.”

“Where will we go?”

“I left a ship at the docking area. We’ll use it to get away.”

“Won’t they notice it?”

“Actually, we want them to notice it.”

“How does that make sense?”

Right as Chanyeol finished packing, Baekhyun emerged from the closet, sporting some trainers and a hoodie. Not the most royal clothes he could wear but it seemed the best option for an escape. Baekhyun suddenly went in for another hug with Junmyeon before Chanyeol interrupted it.

“Sadly, there’s no time to explain. We need to be quick whilst the dog isn’t captured.”

It was hard for Baekhyun to leave without a proper goodbye but there was no time to say everything he wished to tell his lifelong friend.

“Thank you, Junmyeon. For everything.”

“Thank you too, Master.”

After exchanging a few last smiles, Chanyeol took Baekhyun by the hand as they both ran towards the door. That’s when Chanyeol figured he needed to warn Junmyeon.

“There will be an explosion. But don’t worry – we’ll be alright.”

This seemed to greatly confuse the servant but all he could do was nod and wave.

As the couple ran into the hallway, Baekhyun couldn’t help but voice his concerns as well.

“An explosion?”

“You’ll see.”

“How calming.”

Chanyeol tried to remember all the turns he had to take to get to the other side of the palace. They couldn’t exit the same way he’d entered so they had to find a new way through the labyrinth of hallways. Luckily, whenever his mind became lost, Baekhyun was there to help him out. The running seemed almost endless until finally they stopped by the door they needed.

“This leads to the garden, right?”

“Yeah, the docking bay is right across it.”

“Is it safe to just make a dash for it?”

“I think so. Unless Choi has snipers on the roof or something.”

“Everyone should be busy with the dog. Shall we risk it?”

“Let’s do it.”

With Chanyeol still holding Baekhyun’s hand, the couple took a deep breath before opening the door. They took a quick look around before making a run for it as it didn’t seem like anyone noticed them. At least no blaster bolts came their way. Yet, the ruckus from the palace was still quite loud.

Quickly making their way across the garden, they soon found themselves by the docking bay’s door. As expected, it was quiet and empty. Chanyeol led Baekhyun to Inlustris and the latter was certainly surprised to see it after the damage that had been done to it.

“How did you get it to fly?”

“Minseok and the others helped. Took almost a day to fix it.”

“Amazing!”

“Don’t get too attached to it yet.”

“What?”

Chanyeol didn’t reply. He sat down in the pilot’s seat and mentioned for Baekhyun to take the co-pilot’s place.

“Don’t put on the belt though. We need to be able to move around.”

Baekhyun didn’t like to be left in the dark but then again they surely didn’t have time for long explanations. So he sat down and kept his mouth shut, just observing everything Chanyeol was doing. As the latter rolled the ship out of the docking bay, Baekhyun expected him to take off. However, Chanyeol started to make his way towards the palace instead.

“What are you up to?”

“We need to get their attention. We need them to see us.”

“Well, looks like it’s working.”

It seemed like Tuk’ata was now the least of the guards’ worries as they kept pouring out of the palace’s entrance. Of course, they immediately started to fire at the ship, making Baekhyun worry that history might repeat itself.

“Aren’t we going to leave?”

“Just a bit more.”

Once all the guards seemed to have positioned themselves around the ship, Chanyeol finally lifted the ship into the air and slowly started to gain altitude.

“Why aren’t we jumping to hyperspace?”

“Sadly, this ship will have to stay here.”

“What?”

Finding the perfect spot, Chanyeol set up the autopilot to keep the altitude and speed steady before standing up from the pilot’s seat. Baekhyun didn’t really understand what was going on but next thing he knew Chanyeol was handing him a huge square bag. Seeing the questioning look, the taller one realized he needed to finally reveal the plan.

“Put on the bag. I can’t take it because I’ll wear a parachute. We need to jump in two minutes or we’ll blow up with this ship.”

“What? But you need Inlustris!”

“I need you alive more. Let’s move.”

Baekhyun wasn’t given any time to think about it. He did as he was told and secured the backpack. Then he realized that the bag didn’t seem anything like the parachute Chanyeol was trying to put on.

“Why do you get a parachute and I don’t?”

“Have you ever jumped with one before?”

“Well, no.”

“Exactly. I have so I’ll get us down safely. Come here, I’ll strap you in.”

The last sentence would have Baekhyun giggling if not for the countdown on Chanyeol’s watch. They had less than a minute left.

Deeming Baekhyun secure, Chanyeol slowly moved them both towards the ramp.

“I’ll open this and we’ll jump, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”

As the watch started to release angry beeping noises, Chanyeol pushed the button to open the ship’s ramp. It was quite high but that’s exactly what they needed. Baekhyun could faintly hear some sort of a countdown but then he felt a nudge from Chanyeol and they both jumped. Not long after the ship exploded.

As they were going down, Baekhyun could see various bits and pieces of the ship flying past them. It was a miracle that nothing had hit them yet. The ground beneath them was too far away so Baekhyun couldn’t really understand where they were about to land. But as it came closer and closer, he could sort of make out a grassy hill that seemed to be in the middle of some forest.

The landing started to worry Baekhyun quite a bit. He felt a pull back when Chanyeol finally opened the parachute but he didn’t think that the speed slowed down. In fact, they seemed to still be going down rather quickly.

Right as Baekhyun thought his face would meet the grass, Chanyeol suddenly rolled them over so that he would take the blow. After that they rolled down the hill in a chaotic, dizzy mess. While certainly scary, Baekhyun somehow managed to find some fun in it. The laughter scared Chanyeol though as it was the last thing he expected from the other. As soon as they stopped rolling, Chanyeol released the straps so Baekhyun could roll on his back and Chanyeol could have a look all over the Prince’s body.

“Baekhyun, are you alright? Did you hurt anything?”

The other was still laughing.

“I’m good! Probably will get a few bruises but it was actually fun!”

The relief made Chanyeol laugh too.

“Thank God.”

Even after jumping out of a ship and rolling down a hill Baekhyun looked breathtakingly beautiful. So beautiful that even under these circumstances Chanyeol couldn’t help but capture his boyfriend’s lips into a kiss. It didn’t last long though as the intercom in his ear suddenly came to life.

“Are you two alright?”

“Yes, Sehun. We’re alive and fine. Come pick us up.”

The smile on Baekhyun’s face didn’t fade.

“So we’re leaving this place?”

“Yeah. This might become a hot place to be soon so it’s better to get out of here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I decided to try my luck and sent an anonymous message to the Pykes. They might soon stop by to check the situation.”

“Are you sure they will come? Your friend didn’t get the coaxium yet, did he?”

“No, the week isn’t over yet. But I hope they will still be interested in it.”

“What if they aren’t?”

“Then the Jedi will be.”

“What? You got the Jedi involved?”

“I called anyone I could just to make sure someone takes care of this place. I knew you would run back otherwise.”

A black star courier appeared above their heads before another question could follow. It was impossible for it to land so Sehun tried to hover as close to the couple as possible. Chanyeol unstrapped the parachute and offered a hand to Baekhyun before both jumped onboard.

Chanyeol quickly headed over to the pilot seat while Baekhyun ran to hug Sehun. This was something the droid didn’t really know how to react to but returned the hug, nonetheless.

“Ok, you two. We’re about to jump to hyperspace. Hold on.”

* * * 3 months later * * *

It was another beautiful morning where Baekhyun got to wake up in Chanyeol’s arms. It still felt surreal. From what they had heard, everyone on Naboo really had believed that the Prince had died. This gave them enough freedom to finally settle down. Baekhyun knew Tatooine was the last place where Chanyeol wanted to be but the latter had to admit that having his friends close by was an important advantage.

Baekhyun knew that Chanyeol was already awake. Or more like the other hadn’t even fallen asleep at all last night. But no one would blame him as something huge was about to happen.

“Today’s the day, Yeollie.”

“Good morning to you too.”

The couple exchanged good morning kisses before the reality finally set in.

“Yeollie, everything will be just fine.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll just walk around several houses, hoping that their grudge isn’t big enough to shoot me then and there.”

“They won’t shoot you! Not after you apologize.”

“And what do I say? “Hey, sorry for pushing you into a terrible debt all those years ago but here is your money back”? Or is it too direct?”

“Nope, sounds perfect. I bet they will calm down as soon as you say that you want to pay them back. Besides, Sehun and I will be by your side. No worries.”

Chanyeol started to comb through Baekhyun’s hair with his fingers, which Baekhyun guessed was a way for the other to calm down. At least Chanyeol seemed talkative now.

“I still can’t believe we got that last sum so quickly.”

“Well, it did help that the Pykes didn’t need that coaxium after all.”

“True. Plus, who knew you’d be this good at smuggling.”

The compliment made Baekhyun smile.

“Everyone has their secret talents. Anyway, what about your family? Are you ready to face them?”

“Yeah, that will be the easy part. Mom is on my side and I doubt the rest of the family will dare to object much.”

“When will we tell them about our engagement?”

“Right after the apologies, maybe?”

“That soon?!”

“Why not? I have a hunch they’ll love you.”

“Really? Why do you think so?”

“The man who got their son back on the right track – how could they not love you?”

“That’s not entirely true though.”

“Well, that’s how they’ll view it and I’m fine with it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I don’t care about anything as long as I get to have you by my side. So I’ll apologize, introduce you to them and then I’ll announce our engagement.”

“I still can’t believe you brought my wedding robes for this.”

“Well, the ceremony will probably go according to our traditions. Figured you would like something that is traditional to you too.”

Baekhyun propped himself up on one elbow to be able to look straight into Chanyeol’s beautiful huge eyes.

“I love you, Yeollie.”

“I love you too, Hyunnie.”

Of course, that had to be sealed with a kiss. However, Baekhyun wasn’t ready for Chanyeol to suddenly wrap his arms around him and roll them around so that Baekhyun would end up between him and the bed.

“Do you think we still have time for a quickie?”

The sudden question made Baekhyun laugh and he could feel Chanyeol smile against his neck.

“Definitely.”


End file.
